Second Star to the Right
by MyDreamsComeToLife
Summary: Katherine seeks to escape her painful life. She wants peace and to disappear. However, what happens to her one night is far past what she had ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or characters in it. I only own my imagination and the characters I create.**

**Chapter 1.**

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Katherine walked over to her window and sighed. She had finished dinner early with her family and now was standing alone in her bedroom, lost in thought. Her mind was lost in itself, weighted down by all of the past events that happened this year. First there was the issue of school, friends, even food. She never knew how much hurt could come from the people and things she thought she knew.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Katherine whispered to herself as she gazed at the trees outside, "You're a little fighter. You've made it far on your own. You've held together. You've just gotta keep fighting."

She turned her gaze downwards toward her left hip and pulled the waistband of her leggings down a bit along with her underwear. She traced her fingers along the scars below her hip. Her heartbeat started quickening as she remembered what caused herself to resort to a blade. She had suffered in secret with her pain, and as much as she tried to move on and forget, the scars were there to remind her every day. Recovering from her anxiety that was ensuing, Katherine pulled her leggings back over her hip and raised her left hand to wipe the couple tears that had started to form. She paused when she saw the small white stripes on her inner wrist. Now she let the tears slide down her cheeks.

"Stop it!" Katherine told herself. "Stop it! You have to be strong! Crying is weakness and you're not weak!"

She wiped her cheeks but the tears kept coming. But she wasn't going to let herself submit. Katherine closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She let the air fill her mind and clear her thoughts. After a few minutes the tears stopped.

"There, it's ok." She whispered, "I told you you could be strong."

Wanting to take her mind off of things, Katherine reached for her favorite book, _The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane_. She sighed and flipped a couple pages to read. After fifteen minutes Katherine realized she was just scanning letters; she didn't even remember what page she was on. She let out another sigh and turned off her lamp as she lay down on her bed. She still had on her sweater and boots, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to forget all of her pain. To be taken somewhere she didn't have to deal with the events right now. Sleep had been successful in that area, taking her to complete darkness, ultimately nine hours of pure peace that eluded her anywhere but at night. Katherine didn't even dream anymore, or if she did she couldn't remember, all she saw was blackness in her sleep, and to her that was peace. Slowly her mind became fuzzy and her body turned off for the night, her eyes fluttered shut as she fell asleep.

Katherine sat up sharply, out of breath, as a blanket of fear wrapped around her. "Why is it so cold?" She thought to herself as she tucked her hands inside her sweater. Suddenly she sat perfectly still. Something wasn't right. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as Katherine scanned her room, lit only by the moon. She hadn't had a nightmare, those ended months ago, but she could feel that someone was watching her. She looked toward her window and clasp her hand over her mouth to cover a shriek.

Two glowing eyes were watching her, and they weren't attached to a body. Instead they belonged to a transparent body, well, blackishly transparent. It wasn't moving, but Katherine could tell it was fully aware that she was in her bedroom. Cautiously Katherine scooted backwards to the edge of her bed and stepped onto the floor. However, she stepped on the wheel of her chair and slipped. She landed with a small _thud_ on the carpet but sat up and peeked over the edge of her comforter to the window.

The shadow was gone. Katherine stood up.

"Did I imagine that?" Katherine whispered to herself as she stepped closer to her windowsill. There were no signs of anyone or anything being outside the window. The moon was still bright and everything was peaceful in the backyard. Katherine pressed her forehead against the cool glass to see the window below hers. Nothing was downstairs, as it seemed, and she sighed in relief. Glancing up at the moon, she smiled. The fact that it always shone through the darkness brought her comfort. Katherine looked towards the stars as she turned back towards her bed but whipped around and did a double take.

"What?" She said as she looked at the sky. There were two abnormally large and bright stars that she was positive hadn't been there before she went to bed.

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning…" She breathed but soon broke her train of thought. "A shadow, the stars," Katherine murmured as she continued to watch the two stars.

"No," she told herself, "That's a Disney story, Neverland's only fictional."

As much as she wanted to go to Neverland as child, Katherine allowed herself to let the belief of magic slip away with her age. Now at sixteen, she knew there was no possibility.

"But I wish it was true…" She said as she turned away.

Drawing her curtains, Katherine climbed on top of her covers again. She wasn't going to bother taking off her shoes, she didn't care if they left a little dirt on her bedspread. Through a crack in the curtains she could still see the two stars, shining brighter than the rest. Suddenly her view of the stars was blocked by the same figure that had been outside her window minutes ago. Katherine gasp and turned to run out of her room but the figure reached for her and as soon as his icy fingers touched her Katherine passed out.

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**Let me know what you guys think about the first chapter! I'm so excited to write the second one and can't wait for you to see what happens. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the positive reviews! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last!**

**Chapter 2.**

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**Pan's P.O.V.**

I'm pacing back and forth and can't get my mind at ease. My shadow brought me this girl, Katherine, and even though I asked for her; now that she's actually here I don't know what I'm going to do.

She's still out cold from my shadow's touch and just a few feet away from me on the ground. Every time I look at her my heart skips a beat. I didn't know I had a heart to be honest.

I can't focus and turn away. My mind won't stop running and my temper is slowly heating up from the realization that a stupid girl could cause me to feel out of control.

"Ugh, you bastard!" I say to myself. "You control Neverland, you control the game." I continue pacing but stop as I glance at Katherine. I step closer and examine her features.

Her brunette hair is spread behind her hair like silk, with streaks of gold throughout it. Her face is sprinkled with freckles that remind me of fairy dust. I can't help but think that she's the most beautiful person I've seen, and the way that her soft, pink lips are slightly parted from her slumber make me want to feel them on mine. She has a slender figure, and looks to be about the same height as I am. Her chest is slowly rising and falling in a slow rhythm, and honestly she looks like an angel.

"Maybe you can save Neverland," I whisper to her.

I come back to my senses as she starts to stir. I lean back against a tree, waiting for her to wake. I can't be sure what she'll think, no less do, when she discovers where she is.

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**Katherine's P.O.V.**

My eyes flutter open but close from the sunlight that hits my face. When they do open, I'm not prepared for what I see. Above me is a canopy of trees, and they're not like any I've seen before. I raise myself to my elbows and look around me. More trees. I know I didn't sleep walk anywhere last night, but…"what happened last night?" I think to myself as I sit up.

"Well I see our Sleeping Beauty has woken up." A voice behind me says. I nearly jump into one of the trees from surprise but whip around. The voice belongs to a boy, who looks my age. His hair is a few shades lighter than mine and settles right on his ears. His clothes are rugged and fit in with this whole forest theme quite well. He has a nasty grin on his face as he stares at me.

I can feel his gaze burning into my skin and as I step back I see a mischievous glint in his eyes. He cocks his head to the side slightly as I take another step back, and then he steps forward. Every step I take he mimics, making me feel cornered.

Not wanting to continue this little waltz that is ensuing I turn on my heel and sprint as fast as I can. There are vines hanging everywhere that keep scraping my face and even tear my sweater but I don't stop. I don't even know if he would hurt me but I don't want to find out the hard way. My boot catches a tree root and I fall to the ground _hard_.

I stumble back on my feet and keep running through the forest. The more I run, the more fear consumes me. My thoughts are listing all the horrible possibilities of where I am and what will happen to me if I get caught. "How did I get here!" I shout at my thoughts. That's when I remember what happen last night.

Suddenly I'm in full fledge panic mode and running faster than I had before. "I've been kidnapped!" I scream to myself as I continue to run. My lungs are on fire and my legs feel like jelly but I keep on racing to get away from that boy.

It's not until I collapse outside the edge of the trees that I stop. I'm gasping for air, leaning on my knees with my palms in the ground. My hair is covering my face but in a strange way I feel it's like a shield. Once I can breathe more normally I stand up and look at my surroundings.

In front of me is the forest I came out of, and it's larger than I thought. I turn around and my breath goes away.

There's an ocean that surrounds the cliff I'm on. Gingerly, I take a step closer to the edge of the cliff and peer over. The water is a turquoise blue yet completely clear. I wonder if it's beautiful so it can lure people to their deaths.

Suddenly that feeling from last night creeps up my spine. I raise my head but don't turn around. I know he's there, watching me, but fear has me frozen in place.

"Where did you think you would go?" He says with an edge to his voice. "_A sexy edge_." I think to myself before mentally slapping myself for even having that in my head.

"Well?" He says with more aggressiveness in his voice. I forgot what he asked me before, what was it? Oh, where I would go…I turn around and look him in the eyes.

"I was trying to go anywhere to get away from you." I say. He takes a step towards me and my heartbeat quickens.

"No! Don't come close to me!" I say as I put out my hands defensively. He, however, doesn't stop walking. I'm really starting to freak out at this point as images of what he could do with me start flashing through my mind.

"What are you afraid of, Katherine?" The boy says as he's now just five feet from me.

"You!" I shout as I take a step back.

Big mistake. I stepped off a cliff, why would I step off a cliff? It doesn't even occur to me that I'm falling, all I can think of is that he knew my name.

"How did he know my name?" is the last thing I think before I crash into the water.

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**I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3. **

It felt like I was slammed into concrete when I hit the water. What can I compare that too? Oh yea, in that movie where Hulk slams Loki back and forth. Yeah, it felt a lot like that.

I can't hear anything, and can't move, much less breath. I can see clearly though.

It's like watching the world while you're paralyzed. The ocean is cold, and my bones are already aching from the chill, or more likely from the impact of the water.

"Why aren't I dead then?" I wonder to myself as I watch the surface becoming farther and farther away.

I can see my hands in front of me, limp, swaying with the motion of the water. It's almost peaceful while I'm in the process of dying. If I'm dying, or maybe I'm already dead.

"I guess this is a good way to die," I think to myself. There's nothing around me, but I can't turn my head to see so for all I know there are a dozen sharks behind me as I continue to sink.

My peaceful thoughts are interrupted with sudden waves of panic that wash over me. All of a sudden my mind is whirling and I can't do anything but be thrown around like a ragdoll with my mind.

Wait, it's not my mind, it's really happening. The tide is pushing me back towards the cliff. A strength I didn't know I had fills my body and I manage to shield my head before I'm slammed against the underwater wall of the cliff I stepped off of.

As soon as I crash into the cliff wall all of the air that was left in my lungs is sucked out. I almost gasp in air but remember I'm underwater and still have the possibility of drowning.

I struggle to kick off of something so I can reach the surface but there's nothing under me and every time I push off the wall I get slammed back into it even harder than before.

Maybe if I edge along the wall I can get closer to the beach that I saw earlier. I press myself against the cliff wall and reach for a grip on the sharp edges to pull myself towards the beach.

My lungs are compressing and I start to see streaks of white flash through my vision.

"You are not going to drown!" I scream at myself as I pull harder against the rocks.

My leather boots have absorbed the water and start weighing me down. Using one hand to hold onto the wall, I use the other to unzip my boots and let them float below me. When I start pulling myself towards the beach again my sweater nags on a sharp edge of the cliff.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" I think to myself as I quickly strip myself from the wool. All that's left of my clothes are my leggings and v neck t-shirt. I feel surprisingly lighter and actually start floating faster to the surface of the water.

I use my hands to pull myself even faster until my head breaks the surface.

Right as I suck in a huge breath of air into my burning lungs a wave slams me back against the cliff wall.

"Like hell this is happening again!" I shout as I find a small ledge to pull myself onto. I manage to get my feet on the ledge and press my back against the cliff as another wave splashes over me. I have a tight grip on the cliff but even then I'm almost washed back into the sea.

I edge along my little rim of the rock until I can see the beach in front of me. The water below me is only about three feet deep, and it doesn't look like the tide will pull me out so I jump in and begin to wade to the beach.

Once I reach the dry sand I crumple onto the ground and lay there, breathing in the air that my lungs so desperately needed.

I roll onto my back and stare at the sky. My body is sure to have bruises from the rocks and a variety of scrapes and cuts.

I sigh and close my eyes for a second but when I open them an all too familiar face is over mine.

"AH!" I scream as I try to sit up.

The boy pins me down with his hands on my shoulders and has a very intimidating look in his eyes.

"Let me go!" I scream although I have no energy so my struggling isn't very convincing.

Surprisingly, he lets go of my shoulders and plops down next to me just like we've been friends forever.

I try to jump up and run, but the only thing I manage is to roll over like a dead fish.

"Having problems?" The boy says with a smirk as he stares over the ocean.

I push myself to a kneeling position and glare at him.

"No, I'm fine." I grunt as I attempt to stand. However, standing isn't on my agenda for right now so all I can do is fall back on my butt next to this bastard and try to get some energy.

"After jumping off a cliff I'd say you weren't fine. In fact, you look like you rolled out of hell."

"Thanks for the compliment but I'd rather not talk to you." I respond as I scoot to where my back is facing him.

"Fine, be a prat about it." He says and I can hear the cocky smile in his voice.

"Excuse me? I'm being a prat?" I say as I face him. "You're the one who took me from my bedroom! What kind of person does that! You could be some teenage rapist or murderer so if you insist I'll be a prat and leave you to kidnap more people."

I manage to my feet and have to take a moment to steady myself.

"You can't leave Neverland."

I turn around, "Where?"

"You're in Neverland, Katherine, and you're not leaving any time soon." His eyes have a dark glint to them that makes me shudder.

I crease my brows as I take step back, thinking it through that I'm not about to fall off another cliff.

"This isn't Neverland, Peter Pan isn't real, it's all just children's stories." I say as I start backing away from this crazy boy.

Suddenly he's standing right in front of me and gripping my upper arms. His face is inches away from mine, and his eyes are sparkling with a mischievous twinkle that makes me all the more uncomfortable.

"Oh, Neverland is very much real," he whispers as his lips just brush mine as he speaks. "And so am I."

"You can't be Peter Pan." I whisper. "That's impossible." I squeak out the last part as I feel all of my insanity leaking out of me.

"Who told you it was impossible?" Peter says as he backs his face away, yet still keeps his grip on my arms.

I part my lips and take a deep breath as I close my eyes. This can't happen, nothing like this is real. But after being in the water I know I'm not dreaming. However, from what I've seen of Peter ever since I got here, I'm positive I don't want to stick around him anymore.

"Just let me think!" I say as I struggle to free his grip. He lets go and I turn around.

"It's not that hard to believe Katherine,"

I turn back to him again. "What? So you think I just need a little faith, trust, and pixie dust?" I say as my voice rises. "Sorry but I'm not buying it."

I turn on my heel and start running back to the forest. All of a sudden I'm not running anymore and the ground starts getting smaller and smaller underneath my feet.

I start screaming hysterically and look up.

Peter, or whoever the hell he really is, is gripping my wrists and is…flying? No way.

"What the hell are you doing?" I scream at him. "You're going to kill me!"

Peter glances down at me and that mischievous smile reappears.

"Now that, my dear Katherine, I would never do." Peter says as he drops me.

I scream as I fall towards the trees. I'm thrashing in the air, as if that will help my fall.

However, right as I'm about to crash into the forest Peter catches me bridal style and I can't do anything but cling to him as he continues to fly.

"What was that?" I shout in his ear.

"That was to prove to you I'm Peter Pan."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Peter! Seriously put me down!" I shout as he just lazily floats around with me in his arms.

"You want me to drop you again?" He answers with that same edge I heard when I met him.

"No!" I shriek, not acknowledging that I tighten my arms around his neck. "Don't you dare! Just put me down somewhere safe."

Peter just keeps that mysterious smirk on his face as he continues to fly wherever we're going. I know he loves knowing that he's in complete control, but what am I supposed to do when the boy's flying?

That shouldn't happen, but somehow it is, and somehow he always knows where I am…

"How would he know that?" I think as I mentally make a note to find someplace he can't find me.

In just a few minutes we're back on the ground and I have to hold myself back from hugging a tree.

I do find a rock to sit down on, but as soon as I sit Peter walks up to me with an eyebrow raised.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asks as he stands over me.

"I'm thinking, it's what normal, non-flying people do so leave me alone." I say as I look away from him.

"Ah," He says as he purses his lips. "I see, but we have somewhere to be, and I'd hate for you to miss out on all the fun." Peter squats down to where he's looking up at me.

"No offense, but you're not the best company to hang around." I say as I start to stand up.

Peter places his hands right above my knees, not harshly, but with enough pressure to indicate he's not done talking with me.

I glance down at his hands, then look into his eyes.

They're a bright blue, yet have a weary look to them. His eyes remind me of a stormy sea.

"Still thinking, Katherine?" Peter says as I snap out of my thoughts.

"Yea, yea, sorry…wait what are you doing?" I say as I try to push his hands off my knees.

His hands, however, somehow have turned into molten lead and aren't budging a bit.

Getting frustrated, I sigh and lean back on my arms and tilt my head as I glare at him.

"Well?" I say. "What do you want? I'm all yours."

"Not yet you're not, don't lie to me. I do hate liars." Pan says as he looks at me and that dark glint reappears in his eyes.

"The storm is coming," I think to myself.

"Well, why don't you just let me go home?" I say as I cross my arms.

"I can't do that. You're far too special to just go home…plus," Pan says as the corner of his mouth twitches up, "I don't think you want to go home."

I shoot him a glance, but seeing his face I quickly turn away. I can't think of a remark or even a lie to come up with. I don't want to be here. Or do I? My mind is going nuts and I starting to feel like I can't breathe.

These stupid panic attacks keep coming every time I feel like this.

I don't even know what I'm feeling so it's even more frustrating.

I can't even think straight. I wanted to get away from my life, from my home, from everything, but I never wanted to come here.

"Or did you?" My mind echoes as I continue to think. This frustrates me even more and I begin to shake slightly from my thoughts and this sudden chill that's overcome my body.

Peter must see my discomfort because he stands up and holds out his hand.

"Come on Katherine, we can talk about that another time. Let me show you your new home."

I look up at him and my eyes grow wide with panic. He seems taken aback for a split moment, then takes a step to the side and gestures to a path in the woods.

"Your temporary home." He says softly.

I stand up and slowly walk past him, but stop and glance over my shoulder. I feel him come to me as he places a hand on my waist.

"Nothing bad will happen," Peter begins, "I promise." And he smiles that cryptic grin at me.

Peter makes me more uncomfortable than anything, but at the same time I feel like I want to go everywhere with him. My indecisive mind is going to cause my death, I'm sure of it.

"Fine," I say as I start walking ahead again, "But I still don't trust you." I add as I push back a huge leaf.

I can hear him chuckle as I keep on walking, which, by the way, seems like a walk that will lead to absolutely nothing.

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"Why would he say I'm special?" I wonder to myself.

I'm no one special. I know every girl says that but for me it's the truth. I'm literally not special to anyone. Everyone I love lets me down, every person I've trusted betrays me. Anyone I let in on my life almost kills me.

So I stopped letting people in on my life. I stopped making friends. I stopped trusting people. I stopped trusting my family even.

I've had so much pain from my life I don't even know what to do with.

"If he only knew me, he would never say I'm special." I say to myself.

As I continue walking, a holler causes me to pause. I listen, and ahead of me I can see a light and hear voices.

"When did it get dark?" I wonder as I make my way towards the people I hear.

Lucky for me, as soon as I reach the clearing I trip on a root and basically throw myself into the middle of the clearing.

"Well Pan, you certainly know how to pick the graceful ones." I hear a voice say to my right.

I glance over at the boy who said it. He's tall and skinny and has a hood covering his dirty blonde hair. He must feel my stare because he turns to me. He glares at me with an overwhelming hatred and I have to step back from fear he'll whack he with his huge bat. He just smirks and turns back to watching the fire.

I look to where he's looking and take in my surroundings.

We're in some kind of camp set up, and there are boys from eight to about eighteen dancing wildly around the fire. A couple boys are playing tambourines. As I turn my gaze upwards, I notice treehouses in almost every tree I see with rope bridges connecting the houses from tree to tree.

I also notice Peter, who's watching me carefully, standing next to Felix.

I barely have time to wonder how he got here before I did when a boy grabs my arm and pulls me into the dancing.

"Welcome to Neverland Katherine!" I hear as these boys shout at me when they pass me.

It's chaos, total chaos. I'm being pushed around and trying to avoid falling as more boys join in the dance and holler louder than my ear drums can manage.

Constantly a boy is passing me to another boy and I can't keep track of where I'm going.

Everything is going by in a blur and the music seems to be getting louder by the second.

I'm trying to find Peter in all of this but I'm surrounded by all of these boys.

"Lost boys?" I wonder as I try to make my way outside of the circle they've formed.

There must be at least thirty of these lost boys around me and they're dancing and yelling so loud I can't hear anything.

All I can hear is the pounding of my heart and it's almost overwhelming. I feel like I'm suffocating and frantically start pushing aside lost boys as I try harder to get out of this chaos.

I'm searching for Peter, looking everywhere for him. I turn in circles and see him, still next to that boy with the scar across his face.

His brows are creased and he's watching me with concern in his eyes.

"Peter!" I shout as I continue to push past the boys. However, the circle is getting louder and tighter, and pretty soon I can't breathe.

"Oh shit, oh shit." I say as I start panicking from the feeling of being trapped.

I can't even see anymore, it's just flashes of colors and I stand still.

"I can't breathe," I say to anyone standing by, "I can't breathe."

I look straight ahead of me and see Peter coming through the crowd as I start falling.

The last thing I remember is him catching me right before I pass out.

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**Eeeeep! I can't wait for what's coming! Although I'm writing this a chapter at a time so I don't really know but I can tell you it's going to be good! Let me know what you think! I hope you like it so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a tougher chapter, I'm just warning you. It's really deep and has some thick stuff in there. More Once Upon A Time characters are coming in the next chapters I promise. **

**Chapter 5**

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I wake with a start and sit up only to flip over and land on my stomach on the floor. I look up and see I've managed to flip over a hammock looking thingy in the thirty seconds I've been awake.

"What a klutz," I hear a voice across the room say.

I glance over and see the boy that had been with Peter leaning against the wall opposite to me, staring at me with judgment in his eyes.

"Thank you for the compliment," I say sarcastically as I stand up and start heading towards the…

"Where's the door?" I ask as I search the room for any openings.

"Oh, you won't find any doors down here," the tall boy answers as he smiles.

"What do you mean by down here?" I say as I continue to scan the room with my eyes.

"You're underground, plus Pan enchanted this room so you only get out when he allows it."

"Well call him and get him to let me out then." I say as I step closer to him.

"Sorry," he says, "I'm not going to do that, we can't have you running off of any more cliffs." And he finishes his sentence with an uncomfortable smirk.

I tighten my jaw and turn around only to see another girl looking back at me.

Oh wait, that's just my reflection. I step closer and examine myself.

I look beyond awful. Way past the hot mess stage. There's a large piece of fabric missing under my bra, right on my rib, exposing a cut along my ribs. My leggings are ripped in the middle of my thigh, exposing a few inches of skin along with a nice sized scratched.

"How did I not notice that?" I wonder as I look back to the mirror.

I completely forgot that I'm barefoot, since I took off my boots while in the ocean.

My arms are all scraped up too, and my hair has turned into one giant frizz ball. There's also a deeper cut running from my ring finger the top of my left wrist that might need stitches.

"Pretty banged up, huh?" I say to the boy as I turn around. But he's gone.

"Does everyone act like a complete bastard around here?" I mutter as I let out a sigh.

"Not everyone, just me." I hear Peter say.

I almost jump out of my skin. The way Peter just pops in and out makes him completely unpredictable and also unnerving at the same time. But I'm not going to show that he started me.

"How did you get in here?" I ask without turning around. "There's no doors."

"You must underestimate me, Katherine." He chuckles. "You see, I control Neverland, so I control anything around me, including this tree house."

I turn around when he says tree house.

"That boy earlier," I begin.

"Felix." Peter interrupts.

"Fine, Felix. He said I was underground. Treehouses are in trees."

"That's true, but there are also tree houses inside the roots of trees." Peter says.

"Oh that makes a lot of sense." I think to myself.

But didn't I see that the lost boys were underground in the Disney version of Peter Pan? Yea and they were all like little innocent kids, nothing like the barbaric boys and teens I saw last night.

Nothing makes sense here, I guess I'll be in store for more surprises soon, which I'm not the least bit excited about.

Suddenly Peter's right in front of me and holding my left arm.

"Woah!" I say as I jump back. "Stop doing that!" I tug my arm away from him and step back.

"You're hurt, let me see." Peter commands as he steps forward and grasps my arm again, looking at the cut. His gaze falls downward and he looks at the scrape on my thigh, along with all the other cuts and bruises on my body.

"Can you not up and down me?" I say as I begin to feel insecure.

Peter looks at me and then points to a couch made out of, "are those leaves?" I ask as he pushes me towards it.

"Goose feather stuffed leaf couch." Peter says casually as he goes to an oak stump cabinet while I sit on the edge of one of the weird leaf cushions.

He walks over and crouches in front of me like he did when I was on the rock.

I just stare blankly at him. He looks up at me and raises an eyebrow like I'm supposed to know what's going on.

"What?" I ask stupidly.

"I'm helping you, just cooperate," Peter says as he starts cutting my leggings on the leg with the scrape.

"Hey! No!" I scream as I start to jump up.

"Katherine!" Peter shouts with a subdued rage that causes me to freeze. "You have poison from the vines in your leg and I need to get it out so keep still so I don't cut off your leg."

I can tell his temper is rising and I sit still. I don't know why I don't just punch him and make a run for it.

Oh wait, there's no way out of this stupid room without him saying so. I look down and notice the fabric on my right leg is only a few inches past my underwear line.

I also notice the scrape from a closer view. It's swollen, looks infected, and bleeding slightly. Peter is pouring something from a vile onto a rag.

"What's that?" I ask quietly as he puts a lid back on the vile.

"It's a potion that will draw out the poison," Peter says. He looks up at me and that evil glint in his eyes sparkles maliciously. "It's also going to hurt like hell." And he places the rag on my leg.

As soon as it touches my thigh a burning feeling worse than fire happens and pain streaks all throughout my thigh.

"AH!" I scream as I try to push his hand away that's holding the rag firmly on my thigh.

"Peter!" I scream. "Get it off! Please! It hurts!" I try to kick him with my other leg but he catches my foot with his hand and swings it sideways, causing me to lie down against my will.

The pain causes me to catch my breath, and I stare at the ceiling, which gets blurry from the tears forming in my eyes.

I grip the couch as the pain sears through the rest of my leg when all of a sudden the agonizing feeling disappears all together.

I turn my head and look at Peter, who tosses the rag behind him and looks at me with a satisfied look in his eyes.

"You're welcome." He says with a sarcastic snort.

I stare at him, dumbfounded. He just puts another rag into a bowl of water and grabs my shoulder to pull me back into a sitting position.

"You look happy." I say as he puts his hand under my shirt with the rag. I don't even notice.

"What _was_ that?" I ask as he dabs the cut on my ribs with the soaked cloth. Peter ignores me, and just wipes away the blood from my ribs with a concentrated look in his eyes.

I grab his wrist and stop him from fixing my cut.

"Stop ignoring me!" I say as I raise my voice. "You kidnapped me! You almost caused me to drown! You took me to this God forsaken place and you won't even tell me what the bloody hell you're doing to me! And why are you even helping me? You seem to hate me with the way you talk to me. Obviously you have other people you could be ignoring or kidnapping but why me? Why am I here Peter!" I shout in his face.

Peter looks furious that I would even dare address him in any other form than what his Lost Boys do. He has a terrifying scowl on his face as he looks at my hand holding his wrist.

He's about to say something when all of a sudden he grabs my left wrist and pulls it towards him, staring not at the cut on my hand, but at the little white scars that run along the side of my wrist.

I see where he's looking and suddenly my anger is gone, and I'm terrified of what he's going to do.

"Peter…" I say as I try to pull my arm back from his grip. No one has ever seen my scars and I feel so vulnerable, so naked with Peter just staring at my wrist.

Memories come flooding back and my lip is quivering. I try to yank my arm back again but with no luck. I start to cry, but Peter doesn't flinch.

He lets go of my wrist and stands up, now looking down at me. I just stare at my arm, limp, on my lap.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as tears fall into my lap.

I don't even know why I'm apologizing to Peter, after all, he doesn't know me and doesn't know what I've been through, but somehow I feel like I have to apologize to him for doing this to myself.

"Why?" Peter says with a rough voice. I look up and see no emotion whatsoever in his face. I look back down and just sit there, silent.

"Why Katherine!" Peter shouts with so much anger it literally shakes the ground. He's pinned my shoulders against the back of the couch and is staring straight into my eyes, straight into my soul.

My anger returns and I stare right back into his eyes.

"Because it hurts!" I scream at Peter. "Because the pain is too much to bear! I can't take it! I can't ignore it! It hurts too much! It makes everything else fade away until all I can focus on is the pain I feel and how much I'm hurting! For once I had to control my pain! For once I could start and stop the pain and not wait until someone else came to hurt me again! Everyone breaks me and leaves me to pick up the pieces of myself! I didn't want to! It was all I could do!" I shout and my voice starts lowering until it's just a whisper.

"I'm broken," I whisper, "I'm emotionally destroyed and there's nothing left to do than watch me fall apart. Each day it gets worse and nothing gets better. The pain is always there. I'm so alone and it's all my fault. There's no one to blame but myself. No one knows me anymore. They always say, "get over it," but I could never get over something so cruel as the pain I feel. I can't forget the pain. I can't forget the night I was sobbing on the floor, and used the blade to slide across my wrist to physically feel the pain I knew was my fault. I can't forget the time I shoved my finger down my throat to make myself beautiful so others would stop hurting me. I can't forget the days I starved, thinking if I was thin people would love me and not leave me anymore. I can't forget the nights I cried myself to sleep with no one to hold me and tell me it's ok. I can't forget, I can't get rid of my pain. Don't ask me why. You'll never understand me." I look up at Peter. "I don't want to be this sad. I don't want to hurt this much. This pain and sadness is all I have. It's all that's left of me. No one can help me." I choke out the last part. "No one can save me."

The tears are gone, and I feel numb. I've never told anyone anything about myself, never told anyone the truth. And now that I have, I feel empty like there's nothing left of me.

Peter looks at me for a moment, then turns and walks towards the end of the room. Before he's near the wall he suddenly vanishes into thin air.

My mouth opens slightly then closes as the realization comes to me.

"It's true," I say to myself as I fall to my side on the couch. "Everyone leaves me."

* * *

***whew, that was a tough chapter to write.**

**I really wanted Katherine's back story to come out a little more before I continue the main theme of the story. **

**The future chapters won't be this sad, I promise. I have big plans for the next chapters, let me know what you think. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Peter's sitting on a log in front of the fire, watching the sparks leap into the air before they disappear. He's angry; any of the Lost boys can tell by the way the sky has darkened to an unnatural color.

Felix sits down next to Pan and stares at the fire.

"What are you going to do with her now?" He asks as he tosses a twig into the flames.

"I have to keep her safe. Safe where she can't hurt herself." Peter answers. "If anything happens to her the plan will fail.

"All right," Felix says as he looks at Pan, "What do you propose we do?"

Peter answers without turning his head, "I believe it's time for her to meet our guests."

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

I wake up and roll onto my back.

"I must have fallen asleep after Peter left last night," I think as I rub my eyes.

I look down at my thigh and gasp. The cut's just a mere scratch now and almost healed, minus the scar that will be left. My rib pain is noticeably less also; it's just my hand that has the most damage.

I look across the room and see a ladder.

"When did that get here?" I wonder as I step towards it.

As I come next to it I look up and the ladder leads straight up and out of this room.

Cautiously I look behind me for any signs that this is a trick Peter's set up. But there's no sign of him anywhere.

I start climbing the ladder and crawl out of the hole, looking around the camp.

It's deserted. Everyone's gone and there's no sign of Lost Boys except for the dying embers of the fire. The treehouses are dark, and the only sounds are crickets.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do, but since there's no one here I decide to make a break for it.

I take off running, forgetting the fact that I have no idea where I'm going, and just try to get out of Neverland.

"Neverland?" I think to myself. "You're actually calling it Neverland now?"

I don't want to believe that I'm here, but after seeing Peter fly and heal me with a magic potion I don't have much of a choice to think we're anywhere else.

Who knows? Maybe I would be happy if he were a cute little ginger who liked stories being read to him.

But no, he's cruel; I saw the look in his eyes last night after I told him about myself. He didn't care. He didn't do anything to help me.

I brush away a tear with the back of my hand as I run, smearing blood on my cheek from my cut.

I can't see hardly anything because of the darkness from the night, and since I'm under the trees the moon isn't shining except for a few rays here and there.

I pick up my pace as I continue to run but not for very long because all of a sudden I'm knocked down by something, _someone_, and we both tumble down a hill and smack into the ground with an "oomph!"

I don't know who I ran into but I don't want any more encounters with anyone else magical and get to my feet to make a run for it when I'm tackled by the person who ran into me.

"No!" I shout as I thrash in the person's arms. "Let me go!"

I try to elbow the person's face but stop moving when I feel something cold and metallic against my throat.

"Now love, we'll have none of that," I hear a British accent say into my ear. He lets me go and I turn to face him.

He's about ten years older than I am, with dark hair and dark eyes. He's wearing all black clothes that look like they belong in a pirate movie…

"Aw hell," I think as it dawns on me that I could have just run into Captain Hook. I look down to see the knife he's holding when it catches the moonlight, revealing it to be not a knife, but a _hook_.

I let out a sigh as I look back to his face. He's studying me with a raised eyebrow, and I'm wondering why he looks so interested when I look down at myself.

I completely forgot what I looked like. I'm barefoot, cut and scraped, only have one legging and basically spandex on one leg, half of my ribs and stomach showing, and my hair is still frizzy. I seriously need to find some new clothes.

I'm about to say something when I hear more people start coming down the hill we toppled down.

I'm about to make another run for it when Hook grabs my arm with his regular hand.

I glare at him and try to shake my arm from his grasp.

"Who's this?" A middle aged man with red hair asks as he puts a sword into his sheath.

"I don't know, but she ran into me, quite literally." Hook says as he smiles.

"Do you think she knows where Henry is?" A woman with a black pixie cut asks as she holds a bow.

"Why don't you ask her?" another woman with shoulder length black hair and a navy blazer says sharply as she studies me with her eyes.

A blonde woman with blue eyes walks up to me and I can tell she's upset.

"Please, I'm trying to find my son, have you seen him?" She asks me softly.

I stare at the people surrounding me. If the man holding my arm is Captain Hook, who are these other four people with him? They certainly don't look like any princes or princesses I've seen.

But then again, Peter Pan never looked evil in the stories.

"Well?" the woman with the blazer asks impatiently.

"I haven't seen him." I answer, and I'm surprised how weak my voice is. It must be from the shouting that happened last night.

The adults look at the woman with the pixie cut expectantly.

"Don't worry," She tells them. "She's telling the truth."

Hook lets go of my arm and I just stand there. Running would imply that I knew something and the woman who believed me might send an arrow into my back.

"What happened to you?" The blonde woman asks.

"I've had a rough past few days here in Neverland," I say. "It's not the friendliest of places, and definitely doesn't have the best people roaming around."

"I assume you're talking about Pan?" The ginger man asks me.

I nod my head.

"Did he do that to you?" The lady with the pixie cut asks me as she runs her eyes up and down my petite figure.

"No," I say, "Well sort of, but he was trying to help me in one instance, and I kind of fell off a cliff and almost drowned, and then got poisoned and it's just been kind of rough." I answer and turn to Hook. "Sorry for running in to you but I have to get going." I say as I start backing away.

The man with the sword runs and grabs my arm, causing me to stop.

"Wait," he says, "Maybe we can help you, and in return you could help us find Pan."

I crease my brows and turn my head slightly.

"You can trust us," The woman with the bow says. "I'm Snow White, that's Charming, Hook, Emma, and Regina," She says as she points to each person.

Snow White? Prince Charming? Is every story character real?

I wonder how many other people have been to Neverland before me, or even other "fairytale" places that were never supposed to exist.

Everyone's looking at me expectantly like I'm supposed to say something. Am I? Oh yea, they want me to help them do something.

Why would they need help though, every fairy tale person is supposed to have a happy ending and then be done with it, unless this is their post happy ending trip.

I close my eyes and think for a moment. I'm too emotionally drained to decide whether or not I trust these people, but then again, I stopped trusting people a long time ago. I open my eyes and look at Snow White.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I have other things I have to deal with," I say and I turn around again and as I start walking no one tries to stop me.

I hear Charming speak as I walk away, "At least we tried." He says in a defeated tone.

These people need to learn that people are going to let them down. And they're from fairytales so they must have some sort of magic that helps them with their problems.

I sigh heavily and start walking down a trail I hope takes me somewhere Peter can't find me. I don't know what will happen the next time I see him.

* * *

**Three hours later…**

I've been walking for hours and my legs are killing me. I haven't eaten since the night the shadow took me, which was what… two, three, maybe even four days ago? I'm so lightheaded I can't even think straight.

The trees are getting sparser the farther I walk, and the trail is blending with sand, meaning I must be close to a beach.

As I turn a corner I halt when I see two men talking.

They didn't see me but the older one pauses his sentence and cocks his head to one side.

"Come on out dearie," he says as he turns and looks straight at me.

I feel a chill overcome my body when he looks at me and get a sickening feeling in my stomach. I take a deep breathe but the chill won't go away.

I want to run, but my legs won't move. My body is literally frozen in place, and as much as I try I can't do anything.

It's like my insides are started to freeze and my skin feels colder than ice. I can feel myself trembling, and I look at the men with wide eyes.

The older one seems perfectly calm, and I notice his hand slowly moving, as if he was turning a gear. The younger one is staring at me with confusion, but follows my gaze towards the other man's hand.

"Rumple stop!" He says as he shoves the man's hand down.

Immediately I can feel the chill start to disappear, but as quickly as it came, it took the energy that I had left.

The younger man called the other one "Rumple." As in Rumplestilskin?

"Perfect," I think as my knees buckle from underneath me, "I just ran into the most evil fairytale character of all time."

The younger man is at my side and picks me up from where I've fallen. He carries me over to Rumplestilskin, who looks very displeased at the moment.

"Undo it." The young one says.

Rumplestilskin looks down at me and then at the man. "I can't Bae," He says matter-o-factly.

"Then do something to help her," Bae says as she shifts his weight to his other foot. "She's obviously injured, and if we help her she might be able to tell us where Henry is."

"Everyone wants to know about this Henry kid." I think as I stare up at the clouds.

I wonder who he is, and if he's even alive. Peter could have killed him; it seems like something Peter would do.

"I wonder if he'll kill me." I think. I look back to Rumplestilskin and he has a clenched jaw as he raises his hand to my face.

I silently pray he's not going to snap my neck, but instead he mouths something as he waves his hand over my head.

I start losing consciousness as his fingers draw my eyelids close and I slip into a peaceful darkness.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It wasn't as tough as the other one and finally she meets the other characters! Let me know if you have any ideas for the upcoming chapters! After seeing the latest episode of OUAT I'm kind of clueless as to how the story will go on in a few more chapters so I would love your suggestions!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Neal looks down at the unconscious girl in his arms and wonders how she came to Neverland. He came back to find Henry, and didn't expect to run into anyone else, especially not another kid.

"I don't think she came willingly." Rumplestilskin says as an answer to Neal's thoughts.

He shoots him a glare and focuses on the path ahead of them that Amy came from when she first saw them.

"How long will she be out?" Neal asks flatly. He hates magic, mostly because of Rumple, but the whole idea of magic just makes him shudder.

"It depends on her strength," Rumple says as he merely blinks and a log disappears from the path ahead of them. "but I can keep her asleep as long as we need."

Neal looks back down at Katherine. Her face is a disturbing pale color and her limp body weighed almost nothing. Her clothes have been ripped to pieces and there are scrapes and scars all over her.

"The works of Pan, no doubt." Rumple says, as if he is reading Neal's thoughts.

"Get out of my head and stop looking at my mind." Neal says sharply.

"If you won't simply make pleasant conversation, what else am I supposed to do?" Rumple smirks.

The two men continued heading farther into the forest; Neal had a bag with squid ink that he hoped would stall Pan long enough for him and Rumple to get Henry and leave Neverland.

Neal and Rumple make it to the Lost Boys camp and Neal carefully sets Katherine down where some banana leaves will shield her from anyone's view. He looks to Rumple and they silently wish each other good luck.

Neal grips his crossbow and makes his way to the trees behind the edge of the camp while Rumple waves his hand, causing all of the Lost Boys and Henry to fall unconscious as a magical fog covers them.

Pan stands up and turns around, a devilish glint in his eyes, both from excitement and anger.

Pan chuckles darkly, "We have a guest. No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games." Pan takes a few steps forward. "Who could it be?" Pan lifts his hand and the torches ignite with blazing fire. "I guess the Dark One." The light falls across Rumple's face and he stands before Pan.

Meanwhile, Neal aims his crossbow at Pan, ready to let it fly into the evil boy's heart.

"Come to save Henry have you Laddy?" Pan says with bitterness. "How exciting."

Rumple remains silent as Pan continues, "The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family. Speaking of family," Pan raises another hand as a second torch ignites, "You can come out now Baelfire."

Neal steps out from the trees, still aiming the crossbow at Pan, "The names Neal now."

Pan remains unnerved, and leans on his other foot, "New name but the same old tricks." Pan smirks, "It's heartwarming to see father and son working together, especially after you abandoned him Rumple."

Pan's smile disappears, "This is a real family reunion."

"What are you waiting for?" Rumple says softly to Neal.

"I got this," Neal answers.

He fires at Pan's heart, but quick as lightning Pan catches the arrow with a gleaming smirk.

"Clever," he says as he looks at the arrow. "But we've been through this before Baelfire, have you remembered nothing?"

Neal throws his crossbow over his shoulder, "I remember plenty," and Pan throws the arrow to the ground. "That's why I didn't coat the tip."

Pan stands frozen from the squid ink that soaked the arrow. "Well how about that," he says as Neal grabs Henry. "I'm impressed. But are you sure you're really saving him Bae?"

Neal puts Henry over his right shoulder and turns to Pan.

"What could be worse than leaving him here with you?"

Pan looks to Rumple, "Why don't you ask your father? Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us."

Neal turns his head towards Rumple, "What's he talking abo-

"Don't listen to him," Rumple interrupts. Pan cuts in.

"You mean you haven't told him?"

"Told me what?" Neal asks.

Pan continues to glare at Rumple. "Why about the prophecy of course."

Neal throws one arm up in frustration. "What prophecy, what's he mean?"

"The prophecy that says you've been tricked," Pan says, "You're father isn't here to rescue your son,"

Neal turns a cautious eye towards Rumple.

Pan glares even harder at Rumple. "He's here to murder him."

Neal turns on his heal and starts walking away from the camp. Rumple glares at Pan with more hatred than you can imagine as he goes to pick up Katherine. She's still asleep, she will be until Rumple lifts the spell, and he gently lifts her into his arms. Rumple walks past pan with Katherine and when Pan sees Katherine his mouth parts slightly, but he quickly recovers himself.

"He'll leave you." Pan shouts as Rumple catches up to Neal, "Just don't be surprised when it happens!"

* * *

When they are a safe distance away, Neal demands to know about the prophecy.

"What the hell was he talking about?" Neal asks as he turns to his father.

"Don't mind him," Rumple says as he begins to start a fire.

"He says you're going to murder Henry!" Neal shouts as Rumple stands up.

"He plays games." Rumple assures, "mind games. The important thing is we got the boy and we got away."

Bae doesn't look convinced. "Where are we?" he asks as he steps towards Henry.

"The other side of the island," Rumple answers. "We're safe here for the time being."

Neal crouches by Henry, who stars to stir. "Hey, Henry! It's me!" Neal says softly. "It's your dad!"

"No, he…he can't hear you." Rumple says as he steps towards Neal.

Neal looks up at Rumple with a dead serious. "Then wake him up."

Rumple cringes as he speaks, "Pulling him out of a spell could be dangerous, he'll wake naturally in a few hours he'll be fine."

Neal glances towards Katherine, who's a few feet away from Henry, still under a different spell Rumple performed earlier.

Neal motions towards her, "He'll wake like the girl?" He questions as he looks to Rumple. "When you want her too? You said yourself you can wake her any time you want too, so you can do the same to Henry." Neal has an uneasy look to him as Rumple takes a step back and sighs.

"No, it doesn't work like that." Rumple says. "Just trust me Bae."

Neal stands up, "All right, then you're going to explain to me what the hell Pan meant."

"This prophecy he's talking about. Why would he say that you would kill Henry?" Neal almost shouts.

Neal turns in a circle, "I don't know to create a wedge between us."

Neal glares at Rumple. "That's not a denial."

Rumple sighs.

Neal walks closer to him. "No this has to do with what happened when I found you. You thought I was a hallucination." Neal raises his voice, "You said that you had to do the right thing and save Henry what did that mea—

"Baelfire…" Rumple begins but Neal cuts him off.

"IT"S NEAL!" He shouts. Rumple looks at him with hurt in his eyes, but Neal stands his ground. "Now tell me what's going on!"

Rumple slowly nods his head. "There was a singer. And she told me of a prophecy, that a boy would help reunite me with you."

Neal stared at his father.

"And that boy," Rumple says as he gestures towards Henry, "will be my undoing."

"Henry?" Neal breathes.

Rumple steps forward, "I didn't know the boy was going to be my own grandson." He says, "till I found you in New York and discovered you were his father."

"You were planning on getting rid of him." Neal says as he looks at Rumple. "Whoever he was, weren't you?" Rumple looks shaken. "To cheat fate? To get around the prophecy? You cold blooded son of a bitch."

Rumple widens his eyes as Bae stares at him with disgust.

"You were going to kill him."

"Yes." Rumple says.

Neal tightens his jaw. "Get back." He says as he points to Rumple. However, Rumple steps forward. "Stay back! Stay away from me!" Neal shouts as he backs away from Rumple.

"That was then!" Rumple pleads, "Things have changed. I…I didn't come here to Neverland to hurt Henry, I came here to save him!"

"After what you just told me I'm supposed to believe you?!" Neal shouts at Rumple.

"I won't lie to you Bae," Rumple says, "Self-preservation has been a nasty habit I've had my whole life, but I came here to break it! To do the right thing!" He steps towards Neal. "To save your son! Even if that meant sacrificing my own life."

Neal turns his head and looks at Rumple.

"You have to trust me." Rumple says as he looks at Neal, knowing he never will trust him.

"How can I?" Neal asks. He turns and sits by Henry and picks up a stick, throwing the pieces of it towards the fire.

"Tell me what I have to do to gain your trust, and I will." Rumple asks as he looks down at Neal.

Neal raises his eyes. "Give me the Dark One dagger." Rumple looks away as Neal continues. "I know you; I know you wouldn't come all the way to Neverland without it. It's the only thing that can control you it's the only thing that can stop you. You wouldn't take any chances with it."

"I don't have it!" Rumple says.

Neal creases his eyebrows, "Why are you lying?" He asks.

"I'm not lying to you Bae, I hid it! So Pan couldn't get it. So he couldn't stop me." Rumple says in desperation.

"So unhide it!" Neal shouts.

"My shadow took it." Rumple says and Neal laughs.

"Your shadow," He chuckles, "Man, you got an answer for everything don't you?" Neal says as he stands up.

"I'm telling you the truth I swear," Rumple says.

Neal shakes his head, "You know maybe you did hide it maybe you do want to do the right thing, but that's today. What about tomorrow?" Neal asks.

"I've changed." Rumple pleads.

"Have you?" Neal asks doubtfully.

"Yes." Rumple says quickly.

"The prophecy still stands. You save him he's still your undoing." Neal states.

"I'm still willing to die for him." Rumple says in return.

"What happens if we get back," Neal asks, "and you're reunited with Belle, and you realize the only thing standing between you and your happy ending is my son. And suddenly, undoing doesn't sound so great."

Rumple has tears in his eyes as he points to Neal. "You're my happy ending. This is. Because it's my redemption." Neal looks at the ground. "I can only be strong, son, if you have faith in me."

Neal sighs before he grabs Rumple's hand in his own. "You know when I was living here and sleeping in a cave, I used to dream of you coming and rescuing me." Rumple looks at Neal apologetically. "But then I'd wake up and remember how you left me behind."

"No." Rumple cries.

"You left your own son behind for the power of that dagger how could I ever think that things could be different?" Neal asks, and he lets go of Rumple's hand as he walks away, revealing squid ink.

"Neal," Rumple asks as the squid magic takes effect and he's suddenly frozen in place. "What are you doing?"

Neal lifts Henry back over his shoulder and walks over to Katherine, picking her up and placing her over his other shoulder.

"I'm going to find Emma," he says, "Along with the others and get the hell of this island." He walks past Rumple, "And I'm going to get my family back home."

"You can't go into the jungle alone." Rumple persists, unable to turn towards Neal. "Without my power to protect you, Pan with capture you both."

Neal turns around, "I'm sorry I got no choice. We're safer without you. Goodbye Papa." And Neal turns and walks into the forest, leaving Rumple frozen and alone.

* * *

**So right now the story's set around 3x04 but we'll see where it goes from here. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Neal makes his way through the forest, quite slowly, since he's carrying both a girl and Henry. He doesn't know this girl, but she's a kid like Henry, maybe a bit older, but none the less still a kid that he's going to protect from Rumple and Pan.

Neal comes to the clearing that Emma and the gang had previously stayed at, but it's empty.

He looks around worriedly, then sets Henry and the girl down carefully on the ground.

Neal crouches by the coals of what's left from a fire, it's still a bit warm, meaning Emma couldn't have left too long ago.

"Emma." Neal says softly with a smile. He can catch up to them, he's sure of it. Then they can all get off this hell of an island and be safe from Pan once and for all.

"And you were so close to finding them." Pan says suddenly as he appears behind Neal. Neal jumps up as countless Lost Boys surround him.

"You disappoint me," Pan says as Neal spins around. "I thought I taught you better. Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."

"I'll remember that for next time." Neal says as he glances towards Henry and the girl.

"There won't be a next time." Peter says as Felix slowly makes his way towards Henry, swinging his club ever so slightly.

"But don't blame yourself." Peter assures Neal as Felix throws Henry over his shoulder.

Pan walks over to Katherine, and squats next to her. "Your father can protect you out here for sure." He gestures to Felix and Henry. "But then who would protect Henry from him."

Peter smirks, "Talk about a rock in a hard place."

"I will get my son back, and the girl." Neal says as he steps towards Pan. "No matter what it takes."

Peter stands up and steps over Katherine. "You're not getting it." He says with a bewildered look on his dark face. "That's not the problem. You got him. I got him back." He looks at Neal. "Why did you not leave the girl and just take your son?"

Neal glances down at Katherine, "She's a kid, like Henry. She deserves to get off of Neverland as much as anyone else. I won't leave her or Henry behind like my father left me."

Peter has a dark glint in his eyes as he ponders what Neal says, "You really have become quite the idiot as you've grown up Bae." Neal tightens his fists.

Peter turns around, but faces Neal again and smiles. "It's all the game. No my boy, the real problem for you is no one is escaping Neverland. No one gets off this island without my permission."

Neal smiles. "I've done it before." Peter cocks his head to the left.

"Did you?" He asks. Neal frowns unnerved. "Look where you are now. It's like you never left."

Neal glares at Pan. "You're saying you let me go?" He asks softly but angrily.

Pan chuckles, "I'm saying everyone's where I want them."

Suddenly a small groan escapes from Katherine. Pan quickly looks down and sees she's starting to wake up. Neal widens his eyes.

"Well well well." Peter says with another smirk. "I see our Rumple has gotten free of his poison that, who poisoned his own father exactly?" Peter shoots a glare at Neal. "You."

"Something to chew on." Pan says as he steps back towards Katherine and scoops her up into his arms. "You know where to take him." He finishes as the Lost Boys follow Felix into the woods.

Two grab Neal, who immediately resists, struggling to get to Henry.

"No!" He shouts. "Henry!"

"Oh don't worry," Peter says as he looks from Katherine to Neal. "It won't be for very long."

Pan turns around and walks away with Katherine, following Felix, who has Henry. "Just until I reset the board." He says as he triumphantly walks away from Neal. "The game's about to change."

"I WILL COME FOR YOU!" Neal shouts as the Lost Boys drag him away. "I PROMISE!" Neal bellows before he's hit over the head with a club.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

I wake up to the sounds of people hitting sticks against each other. My eyes take a bit of time to adjust, but when they do I see a fire in front of me and two boys dueling each other with a lot of force.

"Not bad." Peter says. How did he get here? I look around and see Lost Boys everywhere.

"Great," I think as I prop myself up on my elbows. "I'm back in camp." I look back to where the two boys have suddenly stood up straight, waiting for Pan to say something. The boy on the left doesn't look like he belongs though. He's wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, and has an ordinary look to him.

"Henry!" I whisper aloud. This must be the kid everyone's looking for.

"But wouldn't it be more fun if you had real swords." Pan says to the boys as he steps towards them.

Henry looks uncomfortable. "I…I've never used a real sword." He says as Pan towers over him.

"This is Neverland, and you have the heart of the truest believer." Pan tells Henry as he circles him. "You can have whatever you want. You just have to believe, Henry."

Heart of the what? I wonder if Henry has some special powers he doesn't know about. Maybe he can fly like Pan. But wouldn't he want to get away from Pan and back to his family? My thoughts are piling up as I continue to watch the fight that will soon unfold before me.

"Close your eyes, and believe your holding a real sword." Pan tells Henry.

Henry does, and after a moment a sword appears in his hand. My eyes widen. This kid really is special if he can do that.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Pan says excitedly. "Go on!"

Henry lunges at the Lost Boy, swinging his sword against the boy's stick. He keeps swinging at the boy, who's backing up with a worried look on his face.

I glance around at the Lost Boys and Pan, who seem to be caught up in the excitement. They're all shouting at Henry, encouraging him on as he continues to slash his sword at the boy.

My heart sinks for Henry. H's lost his family and now he's turning into a Lost Boy.

Henry slashes the stick in two, then takes one last swing and the boy almost falls backwards. He raises a hand to his face to feel the gash Henry's put on his cheek.

Henry drops his sword. "I'm sorry, it was an accident." He says with guilt in his voice.

I sit up on my knees, weary of Pan taking notice to me.

However, Pan's preoccupied. He walks over to Henry and picks up the sword.

"Henry," Pan says, "Don't you know the best thing about being a Lost Boy? We never apologize." The Lost Boys cheer Henry and suddenly all of the guilt in his face is gone. I see Henry soak in every bit of praise from the boys.

This worries me greatly, what kind of monster is Pan going to turn Henry into?

When the boys lead Henry away, I grab a log to help lift myself up to my feet. My head is still light from lack of food, but I've dealt with this before. The hunger and faints will pass in a few hours, but until then I have to figure out a way to get back to…what was her name? _Emma._ My brain answers me.

Suddenly pair of boots appear behind the log.

"And where might you be trying to escape too?" A voice I now recognize as Felix says.

I ignore him but he grabs my arm and pulls me up.

"You're not planning on running away again, are you?" He sneers at me, but I don't pay much attention. My head is spinning slightly from when he pulled me up. I just stare at him with a blank face.

He creases his brows as he looks at me, trying to figure out if I'm pulling a trick. His eyes narrow for a split second as the torchlight catches the scar on his face before he grabs my arm and starts dragging me with him across the empty camp.

I try to resist, I really do, but I'm so weak it does nothing but make him laugh.

Felix drags me to a clearing with a cage in the middle of it and pushes me inside.

"Cat got your tongue little kitten?" Felix smirks as he slams the cage door shut and pulls a rope that lifts me in the air.

I grab the bamboo poles and look below me at the ground, seeing Felix walk away, swinging his club over his shoulder as he goes.

"Great." I mutter as I lean against one of cage walls. It's small enough that I'm crouching over, but big enough to curl up into a ball and sleep if I need too.

"Hello?" A voice behind me says softly. I turn around and peer through the bars and see a man in a cage like mine.

"Who are you?" I ask as I crawl closer to the wall of the cage where the moonlight falls on my face.

"I'm Neal, Henry's father." Neal responds.

"Wait!" I say as I back up. "You're the one who was with Rumplestilskin! What'd he do to me!?"

"No, no no no no." Neal says as he reaches through the cage. "You were injured, he just put a spell on you so you wouldn't hurt yourself. But he's gone right now, I got you and Henry away from him. He won't hurt you."

I remember the chill Rumplestilskin put over me, and Neal was the one who told him to stop it. And he's Henry's father so he's good, right?

I mean we're both stuck up here so it doesn't really matter, but I have a feeling I can trust him.

"Henry's ok." I say as I look at Neal.

His eyes widen expectedly. "Where is he?"

"Back at camp." I say. "He looked fine. I mean he cut a Lost Boy with a sword but everyone cheered him on."

"Pan wants to turn him into a Lost Boy." Neal sighs as he sits back on his legs.

"How do you know?" I ask Neal.

He groans as he rubs his head. "Because that's what he did to me." Neal blinks a few times as if to steady his vision.

"Neal are you all right?" He's looking a bit drunk to be honest, but I know that won't be the case.

"I…I'm fine." Neal says as he waves his hand. "The damn boy just drugged me and I'm feeling the after affects."

"So I'm damned, eh Baelfire?" Pan says to the side of us. Both me and Neal whip around and see Peter sitting on a tree branch, with that nasty smirk on his face.

He cocks his head slightly and looks me in the eye, but I quickly avoid his gaze.

"What do you want, Pan?" Neal asks roughly. I can tell he's trying to protect me even though we're both in cages suspended fifty feet in the air.

"Just a friendly chat, Bae." Pan smiles as he hops off the branch. Instead of falling, however, Pan simply walks in midair, right up to my cage.

I scoot to the very back of the cage, trying to shrink away from Pan's glare.

"Now, now Katherine." Pan coos, "why so afraid? After all, I did save your life last time I saw you. Well ast time I saw you conscious."

I cross my arms, and Peter does the same.

"Leave her alone." Neal says sharply as he grips the bars of his cage.

Peter just smiles at me before turning to Neal.

"I don't think you're in any position to be barking orders, Baelfire." Peter says as he sets a hand on my cage. "For now you'll stay here while Katherine goes on a little trip to see a few friends."

Peter has a malicious grin on his face as he looks at Neal, and he raises a dagger to the rope holding my cage in the air.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Neal gaze follows Peter's hand and he shakes his cage door, trying to get it open.

"No! Pan! Don't you touch her!" Neal shouts as he tries to get to Katherine.

"Peter?" Katherine says right as his hand flicks and his knife cuts through the rope like paper.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Neal yells as he helplessly watches Katherine plummet to her death.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Katherine screams as she's thrown against the ceiling of her cage.

However, right before her cage smashes into the forest ground it disappears into thin air, along with Katherine.

Neal stares, mouth agape, as he looks from the ground to Pan, whose smile is bigger than ever.

"I told you Baelfire." Peter says as he starts walking towards Neal's cage. "The game's about to change."

* * *

**Well, that was a fun cliffhanger. Can't wait for you to see the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Skipping to the start of 3x07**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Hooke, Emma, Charming, Snow, and Neal make it out of Dead Man's Cave after an emotional experience and head back towards Pan's camp to retrieve Henry so they can finally get off the island.

They make it back to their own camp and rest while they figure out a plan.

"We have to get Pan's shadow." Neal says suddenly.

"Pan's shadow?" Emma asks him incredulously. "That's your plan off the island?"

"Unfortunately it's the only way." Neal responds.

"I thought you knew how to navigate the stars." David asks suspiciously.

"Oh I know how to navigate the stars." Neal says, "but I can't fly."

"I'm guessing that's where the shadow comes in." Mary Margaret says.

Neal nods his head. "That's why we have to capture it."

"Capture it?" Emma buts in. "We've never been within ten feet of Pan unless he wanted us to be, sneaking up on him to steal his shadow? That sounds insane." She says as she looks up at Hook.

"Except Pan's shadow is rarely with him." Hooke adds. "It has its own will to itself it can carry on from miles away."

"So what does that mean for us?" David asks.

"It means we can get his shadow without having to be anywhere near Pan." Neal says. "As long as we know where to look. I know where to look."

"Ok." Emma states as she stands up. "You and I are on Shadow duty."

"As am I." Hooke adds. "This trek won't be easy you could use another veteran of the island."

"Thanks, man." Neal says to Hook.

"Well, in the meantime we'll give Tinkerbelle the heads up." David says as he turns around. "We'll see if we can make good on her promise to get us into Pan's camp."

Mary Margaret sighs and closes her eyes.

"Ok, we meet back at Tink's." Emma says as the three Shadow hunters start to leave. "Then we get Henry and get the hell back to Story Brooke.

They start to leave the camp when all of a sudden something crashes through the trees.

David covers Mary Margaret while both Hooke and Neal jump to cover Emma.

A cage lands in the clearing and smashes to pieces, throwing Katherine out of it like a rag doll.

"Katherine!" Neal shouts as he gets up and runs to her fallen side.

"Bloody hell." Hooke mutters.

Neal turns Katherine over, fearing that she might be dead, but her chest is rising and falling in a slow pattern.

Mary Margaret slips out from underneath David's protective arm and rushes to Neal and Katherine.

"Her name is Katherine?" She asks Neal, whose checking for further injuries.

"Yes," Neal answers as looks to Mary Margaret.

"How is she still here?" Emma asks as she gets to her feet.

"We thought for sure she would be dead by now." Hooke says as they all walk to where Neal is crouched. He picks up Katherine, she's shivering and shaking harshly as Neal tries to wake her up.

"You mean you've met her?" Neal asks Hooke.

"Yes, briefly, when we ran into each other literally."

"She's soaked to the bone!" Mary Margaret exclaims. "Emma! Keep that fire going, we have to warm her."

Emma merely blinks and the fire bursts into huge flames.

"I guess I got the magic in me." Emma mutters as she lays out a blanket by the fire.

Neal gently puts Katherine on the blanket, and her eyes flutter open.

"Whaa—" Katherine's weak voice manages.

She sees David and Hooke standing over her and starts to panic.

"NO!" She screams as she tries to get up. "NO! I DON"T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS!" Katherine almost falls into the fire before Neal grabs her and holds her to him from arm's length.

"Katherine!" He says firmly. "Katherine it's me, Neal. You're safe." Her eyes widen slightly, then relax as she falls back to her knees.

"How did you escape?" She asks weakly.

"It took a little effort, but Emma and the gang got me out."

Emma smiled slightly at Neal as he said this, but stopped when she felt Hooke's gaze upon her.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

"What happened to you?" Mary Margaret asks as she kneels next to me with a cloth and begins to wipe away the blood from the scrapes on my body.

My brows knit together as I vaguely remember what happened after Peter cut the rope.

_AHHHHHHHHHH! I screamed as I knew for sure I was going to die. I looked up and caught Neal's glance before suddenly snapping into another place. _

_My cage was falling, falling from the same cliff I stepped off of on my first day in Neverland. I screamed bloody murder as I crashed into the ocean. _

_The cage submerged completely before popping up onto the surface of the water. Then it began to slowly sink, and before long only a small fraction was still above the water. _

_I clung to the bars at the top of the cage, trying to breathe, trying not to drown. _

_I couldn't break the bamboo no matter how much I tried, so matter how many times I kicked the bars they wouldn't budge. _

_I stuck my face through the bars to get another gulp of air; sure it was going to be my last. _

_This was a cruel way to die, stuck in a cage for the remainder of my time. _

_Peter was a monster; there wasn't a shred of hope for him. All was lost. _

_"But why do you feel like he can be saved?" A small voice in the back of my mind asked me. _

_Peter saved me before, would he save me now? Are all of these near death experiences supposed to make me one of his Lost Girls? _

_That's what he's doing to Henry, training him, testing him, showing him how to be like himself. But I can't be a Lost Girl. I can't stay with Peter. _

_"But you don't want to leave him either."_ _My mind answered my hidden question. _

_I slammed the bars underwater with my fists in frustration. It was true; there was something about Peter than drew me to him in the midst of all the evil. _

_I closed my eyes to clear my head when I remembered I'm still underwater. _

_I raised my head to get another gulp of air. However the top of the cage was underwater. _

_Panicked, I try to push it above the surface with no luck. _

_"No!" I screamed in my mind. "I don't want to die like this!" _

_I continued to push the cage to no avail. There was no way out, and no more breaths of fresh air. _

_My eyesight starts going fuzzy as my lungs slowly crush from the lack of oxygen. _

_I look in front of me and all of a sudden, where there was all blue sea, Peter's outside my cage. _

_I grab the bars and reach for him, grabbing his wrists. _

_"Peter!" I scream before clamping my mouth shut, not wanting to breathe in the sea water. _

_"I wouldn't let you die." Peter says although his mouth isn't moving, but I hear him in my thoughts. _

_I'm hallucinating before I die, how wonderful. I let go of Peter and float to the opposite end of the cage. _

_He swims around and reaches through the bamboo bars to stroke my cheek with one hand. _

_I look at him. I definitely felt that, that was no hallucination. _

_"Help me, please." I think, hoping he can hear my thoughts. _

_Peter's eyes soften for a fraction of a second before that mischievous glimmer reappears. _

_The corner of his mouth twitches up as he backs away from the cage. _

_I look at him with confused eyes before he snaps his fingers and I'm gone. _

_I hurl through the air in my cage, being thrown around the tight space like a ragdoll before crashing through some trees into a clearing. _

_I barely hear shouting before the cage hits the ground, smashing into hundreds of pieces and throwing me out along with it. _

"Katherine?" I see a hand wave before my face. I look to see Emma in front of me with worry in her eyes.

"Do you remember what happened?" Neal asks softly again.

I look up at him. "Peter sent my cage off a cliff and into the ocean." I say and am surprised that my voice is sounding stronger.

"You poor thing." Mary Margaret says as she holds my hand.

"You're lucky to be alive." David states as he looks at me.

Emma smiles at me as she and Mary Margaret continue to tend to my cuts.

I look up and catch Hooke staring at me with suspicion in his eyes. I can tell he suspects more from my story. He raises an eyebrow as I start to speak.

"That's not everything that happened," I say to Neal, who's stoking the fire beside me.

"What do you mean?" David asks as he crosses his arms.

I sigh, "Right before I thought I would drown, Peter showed up underwater."

"You were hallucinating." Hooke says. "Why would he show up after trying to kill you."

"He said…" I think about if I should tell them what Peter says, but remember that he's probably watching us anyway so it doesn't matter. "He said he wouldn't let me die."

Emma opens her mouth partially, but closes it as she doesn't know what to say.

"Are you sure?" Mary Margaret presses, careful not to show that she doesn't believe me.

I nod my head as Neal speaks up. "How would she get here if it wasn't Pan." He looks slightly distressed. "We were both hanging in cages, and he cut the rope to Katherine's, making her fall."

"Then she should be dead." Hooke interrupts.

"Right." Neal shoots back. "But before her cage hit the ground Pan snapped his fingers and it disappeared. That was right before he sent me to Dead Man's Cave. While you were rescuing me Katherine must have been in the sea."

"That explains why she's here now." Emma says. "Pan wants her here, he wants all of us together for some reason."

"He knows what's going on." I say softly. "It's his game, and we're on his board."

I glance past Hooke's shoulder and see Peter leaning against a tree, smirking before he disappears into thin air.

I gasp slightly, but no one notices.

"She can help us get Pan's shadow." Neal says. "Pan said he wouldn't let her die, and I can guarantee he meant it."

"So she's safe." Emma says, nodding her head. "Will you help us get Pan's shadow?" Emma asks me. "If we get it we can rescue Henry and finally get off Neverland."

I slowly nod my head. Rescuing Henry's on the top of my to do list ever since I saw the way his face changed when seeing how the Lost Boys cheered him on. I don't want him ending up like Felix, the thought makes me shudder.

Mary Margaret sees me, "You need some clothes first."

I look down to see I'm barely dressed at all. My shirt is in shreds, and I might as well be wearing only underwear for the way my leggings have ripped.

She reaches in her pack and pulls out a grey tank top and a pair of black boy's insulated underwear.

"Why are you carrying children's clothes?" David asks Mary Margaret.

"They were for Henry." She snaps back at him. He looks down quickly.

She smiles at me and hands me the clothes.

"Thank you." I say as I stand up. Emma helps me steady myself as I walk out of camp a little ways to have some privacy.

They've practically seen me naked, but still, I want privacy.

Back at camp, the others are getting ready to leave again.

Mary Margaret re-packs her bag and David leans down to help.

"No, I can handle my pack." She says sharply as she stands up and walks over to Emma.

"Mary Margaret." David begins as she ignores him.

"How long is this going to go on?" Emma asks as Mary Margaret squats beside her.

"What" Mary Margaret asks in return.

"This whole not talking to each other thing." Emma says softly. "Don't you think it's been long enough?"

Mary Margaret tears up as she keeps filling her bag.

"He didn't want to tell you about the illness because he wanted to focus on the mission, I get that." Emma says.

"Good to see you've inherited his tunnel vision." Mary Margaret smirks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asks, creasing her brows.

"Nothing." Mary Margaret says before standing up.

Emma stands up in response and sighs. "You can say a lot with nothing."

Mary Margaret looks at her daughter, "Be careful with Hooke and Neal."

"What we need to be careful with is the shadow." Emma says.

"The fact that they both have feelings for you is dangerous too." Mary Margaret replies.

Emma glances over at Neal and Hooke, pondering the thought of it.

She looks back at Mary Margaret. "None of that matters. All I care about is getting my son back."

"Well let's get him then." I say as I step out from behind a tree.

The tank top must have been Emma's, because it hangs loosely on me, and the long johns were obviously Henry's, but they fit like a pair of leggings. I'm still barefoot, but it doesn't faze me.

"Agreed." Neal says as he walks over to us along with Hooke.

"Let's go get Pan's shadow."

* * *

**Enjoy the fun. The game begins. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Henry's sitting on the ground, thinking about his family. They really were here, they really came for him.

"Would you like to take a stroll?" Pan says as he comes up behind Henry. "There's something I'd like to show you."

Henry purses his lips. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Pan sighs worriedly and kneels on one knee. "Why not Henry."

"I think you're lying to me." He says as he shakes his head, assuring himself. "My family, they're here, in Neverland, I know it."

"What makes you so sure?" Pan says as he raises an eyebrow.

"Doesn't matter." Henry says quickly.

"Oh." Pan chuckles. "It doesn't. But I'd be in remiss if I didn't point out what does."

Henry just keeps his back to Pan.

"If you're family's here, Henry. Why haven't they come for you?" Pan adds.

Henry turn around and looks at Pan. "Maybe you're keeping them from me."

"And I promise you," Pan says as he looks into Henry's eyes. "I'm not holding your family prisoner."

Henry's unconvinced. "Then why do you keep disappearing into the jungle? You're hiding something from me and I'm going to find out what it is." Henry says as he stands and walks away.

Pan stands as well as Felix saunters over. "It would appear we're losing a boy." He says to Pan.

"He just requires some effort." Pan replies. "Given as lineage I expect nothing less."

"Shall I bring the cage here?" Felix asks.

"No," Pan answers. "I have another idea."

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

I watch as Hooke sets down a lantern irritably with his good hand. "Something tells me we won't find Pan's shadow in here mate." He says to Neal, whose searching through the cave we're in for something.

"What are we looking for?" I ask him.

"We're looking for something else." He says as he closes the lid of a trunk. "It's a coconut that's carved into and the other holds a candle—"

"Yea you're star map." Emma interrupts. "We hid it I'll go grab it." She says as she heads off to find the coconut.

I sit on a chest, and fumble with the end of my tank top.

"Are you all right?" Neal asks me.

_No, _I say in my head. _I haven't eaten in five days, I've almost drowned twice, I have a strange feeling I'm falling for Peter Pan, I'm in Neverland for goodness sake, every fairytale character is real and I'm about to have a panic attack at any moment._

"I'll be fine." I say as I force a small smile.

Neal nods and turns back to Hooke.

"I owe you thanks." Hooke suddenly says to Neal. "For being so understanding."

Neal closes another trunk which he's grabbed a bag out of. "Understanding about what?"

Hooke turns towards him. "Emma, and me."

I widen my eyes, but neither men take notice of me. I see the vein in Neal's neck start to show.

"Emma and you." He says as he steps closer to Hooke.

"Our dalions." Hook says.

Neal looks clueless and slightly pissed.

"You don't know do you." Hooke asks with a frown. He looks at Neal and then to where I'm sitting. "Well this is awkward."

Neal knits his brows together.

"The two of us shared a kiss." Hooke says, "It was just I assumed she told you."

Neal nods his head and starts messing with the bag he's holding.

"I'd say it probably slipped her mind." He says. "She's kind of focused on getting _our_ son back."

"Of course." Hook says politely.

_'This is sad, and trouble.'_ I think to myself. '_It's a love triangle in the worst time_.'

Speaking of timing, Emma walks up with the coconut.

"Everything all right?" She asks as she looks at the two men and then me.

"It's fine." I say as I walk towards Neal and pat his shoulder. He glances at Hooke and then to Emma. "Yeah, couldn't be better." He sighs and turns away.

Hooke looks at me, but I turn my attention towards Emma.

She hands the coconut to Neal, "Here's your star map."

"It's not a star map it's what we're going to use to trap Pan's shadow." Neal says as he puts it in his bag.

"Coconut." Hooke and I say in unison. He shoots me another glance but I ignore him.

"Are you daft?" he says.

"Hey," I say. "Neal's been here before, he must know what it can do."

Neal smiles at me then looks at Hooke. "You're a pirate who can leave Neverland through a portal but you draw the line on a magic coconut?"

"Oh, fair enough." Hooke smirks. "So what's our next stop on this mission?"

"Dark Hollow." Neal says and Hooke tightens his jaw.

"Really?" Emma says as she lets out a sigh. "Why couldn't it be called something like sunshine valley or rainbow cove. What exactly is it."

"Is that where Pan's shadow is?" I ask.

"Yes," Hooke says to me and then looks at Emma. "It's the darkest spot on the entire island. The light that makes it there is snuffed out by the shadows who call it their home. Even I've managed to avoid it."

"Ok," Emma says. "Time to break tradition. Dark Hollow it is."

She looks at Neal. "That's for sure where Pan's Shadow is, right?"

Neal nods, "Yeah. It's the only way we'll ever get back to Story Brooke."

Emma sighs again as we follow Neal out of the cave and to Dark Hollow.

I can feel the tension growing between the two guys, and I hope they can push it aside until we get back safely to Mary Margaret and David.

Neal and I cut our way through what seems like miles of foliage after more awkward chats happen between Neal and Hooke. Speaking of Hooke…

"Where are they?" I ask as I dodge a piece of foliage Neal tosses to the side. He turns around and we listen for a moment, and hear whispers around the corner we came.

"He's probably trying to win her heart." Neal says as he smashes a vine out of his way.

He's taking out his anger on the plants, which is good considering he could take it out on a person.

"Neal." I say but he keeps on cutting the foliage.

"Neal!" I say sternly as I put a hand on his back.

He turns around, and I see what might have been a tear as he wipes his face.

"What." He sighs as he looks at me.

"I'm rooting for you and Emma." I say softly as I smile.

Neal briefly smiles and turns around as Hooke and Emma catch up to us.

"Me too." He says where only I can hear him. "Me too."

We arrive at Dark Hollow and I immediately see and feel how it got its name.

It's dark, for one thing, and gives you this deathly chill that makes you want to crawl in a hole and hide forever.

Emma must see my discomfort because she places a hand on my shoulder. "It's ok, Pan said he wouldn't let you die, that means he's watching out for you, even if he is an evil and sick twisted bastard."

"Thanks?" I say as we continue walking into Dark Hollow.

_Sure, Peter said he wouldn't let me die, but he never said he wouldn't let me get hurt. For all I know I could break my neck and Peter would be completely fine with that as long as I didn't die. _

I hear a crow above us and nearly jump out of my skin, and I hear Hooke chuckle.

I regain myself and we carefully make our way deeper in the Hollow.

Suddenly an icy wind blows and our lanterns go out.

"What the hell was that?" I say as I walk closer to Neal.

"Dark Hollow." He responds.

"So this is where the victims of Pan's shadow are?" Hooke asks behind me.

"Yeah," Neal answers. "Forced to spend eternity in this darkness."

He waves us forward with his hand. "Come on, let's be sure not to join them."

After a while we make it to what Neal thinks to be the center of Dark Hollow.

"So what we just wait for Pan's shadow to show up?" Emma asks as Neal takes out the coconut.

"Yeah," Neal says. "But when it does we'll be prepared."

"You want to tell me how that coconut works?" Emma asks.

"We light the candle and the shadow's drawn to it." Neal says as he starts walking toward a tree stump. "He gets close enough the flame sucks him in we close the lid and boom, he's trapped inside this bad boy."

"Sounds like a fine plan except one thing." Hooke says as he sets his lantern down. "Our lanterns went out." He gestures towards the coconut. "How the devil are we going to ignite that bloody thing?"

Neal pulls out a lighter, "Welcome to the 21st century."

I can't help but laugh a little as Emma and I lean against a tree.

"How's it coming over there guys?" Emma asks.

"Hang on." Neal says as he struggles to light the lighter.

"Now let me try." Hooke says.

"No I've got it." Neal snaps.

"I've only got one hand and I can do better than that." Hooke says as he tries to take the lighter.

"You know what now's not the time to try to impress Emma." Neal says as he faces Hooke.

"Oh you think that's what I'm doing?" Hook asks Neal as Emma walks up to them.

"Really? You're doing this now?" Emma asks the guys.

Hook points to Neal. "You heard her we can either stand here and argue or we're going to get the candle lit." Hook snatches the lighter.

Hook tries to make it work but with no success.

"Harder than it looks, huh pal?" Neal says as he goes to grab the lighter.

"Give it to me. Give it to me." Neal says as he and Hooke start wrestling over the lighter.

"Guys!" I shout. "Stop!"

They manage to throw the lighter down the hole of a stump.

I sigh and close my eyes.

"Guys we don't have time for this." Emma says as she picks up the coconut and Hooke and Neal go to retrieve the lighter.

"She's right." I say. "We just have to get Pan's shadow we can get Henry and you can get off Neverland."

"What about yourself?" Hooke asks me suspiciously.

I look at him and I'm about to answer when all of a sudden a windy howl fills the air. A trio of shadows come flying towards us.

"Guys we really don't have time for this!" Emma shouts as she draws her sword. "Is that Pan's shadow!"

"Yes!" Neal shouts as he runs towards Emma and me. "Pan's shadow!"

"What about the other two!?" Hooke shouts at Neal as he draws his own sword and swings it towards the shadows.

"He's controlling them! Just fight them off!" Neal shouts back.

I back up a few steps and stare in horror as these three shadows attack Neal, Hooke, and Emma. But then it dawns on me.

_They're not attacking me._ _But why wouldn't they? Pan said he wouldn't let me die, and these shadows are—_

"No!" I scream as I run towards the group. "They're going to kill you!"

A shadow grabs Hooke and pins him against a tree while another grabs Neal and pins him against an opposite tree.

I watch in shock as the shadows begin to rip Neal and Hooke's own shadows from their bodies.

"Emma!" I yell as the wind gets stronger. She's crouched by a tree stump and covering her head with her sword.

"Emma!" I yell again and this time she sees me. Her face is filled with fear. "Light the candle!" I scream as Pan's shadow swoops down to me and shoves me to the ground.

I look up at it. This is the same shadow that took me from my bedroom that night and brought me to Neverland.

"Emma!" Both Hooke and Neal shout as their shadows are being ripped away.

I look and see Emma staring at the coconut, trying to light the candle.

"Emma!" Neal yells. "Emma! Get out of here!"

I try to get up to help him but the shadow pushes me back down and turns to Emma.

"No!" I yell and I tackle the shadow, which I didn't even think was possible.

It throws me off of it underneath the tree where Hooke's pinned. I look up to see Emma wave her hand and all of a sudden a flame appears in the coconut.

Pan's shadow whips around and sees the candle. Before I know what's fully happening it's sucked into the coconut and Emma slams the lid on top.

Neal falls to the ground along with Hook, who manages to land on top of me.

"Oomph!" I grunt as I push him off. He groans as he feels where his shadow was almost ripped out.

Neal looks to Emma, who's still staring at the closed coconut. "How'd you do that?" He asks as he starts to sit up.

"Regina." Emma says.

"She's teaching you magic." Neal confirms as he and Hooke both sit up.

"I guess she is." Emma says with a frown.

"Speaking of magic," Hooke begins as he stands up with some trouble. "I'd say she has some magic of her own." And Hooke puts his hook under my arm to pull me up.

"Me?" I say. "There's no way. No way I could do that." I point to Emma's coconut.

Hooke lets go of my arm. "Well how in the bloody hell did you not get touched by those damned shadows!" He shouts at me.

"I don't know!" I shout back, defending myself.

"What if she doesn't have a shadow…" Emma says as she stands up. "What if Pan ripped it out?"

_Would Pan rip out my shadow? Would he do that so one day his own shadow wouldn't hurt me? He could have done it when I was passed out, but wouldn't I feel something different? Wouldn't I notice? _

Hooke and Emma stare at me as I wonder myself if I have a shadow.

"She has a shadow." Neal says to break the ice.

"How do you know?" Hooke asks as he eyes me up and down.

"Because she cast one on the beach when she found Rumplestilskin and me." Neal answers.

"Then why didn't the shadows attack her?" Hooke asks harshly.

"Because Pan's protecting her. He said he wouldn't let her die." Neal says back to Hooke.

"You can't die if you're shadow's ripped out!" Hooke says incredulously.

"Maybe you can." Emma says softly. Hooke looks at her like she's mad. "Maybe Pan was trying to kill you both and his shadow wasn't allowed to kill Katherine so that's why she was left alone."

"Do you know why the shadow didn't touch you?" Hooke asks me as if I'm keeping a secret from them.

I throw my hands up in exasperation. "I have no idea."

"Just forget about it for now." Neal says. "Let's get back to Mary Margaret and David so we can save Henry.

We make our way out of Dark Hollow, thankfully avoiding any more shadows.

Emma's in the lead, followed by Neal, me, and Hooke's the caboose. It's been silent almost the entire way down the trail.

Neal catches up to Emma, "Hey, hey I'm sorry look I know I screwed up." Emma turns around immediately.

"Yes you did." She says and she looks at Hooke. "You both did. We almost lost our shot at capturing the shadow because you too were fighting over a lighter."

"It wasn't the lighter." Hooke says harshly as he steps up next to me. "We were fighting over love."

"Ok!" Emma says, raising her voice, making Hooke smile. "Let me be very clear about something. If I had to choose someone…I'd choose Henry. He's the only love that's important in my life." She grabs my arm and pulls me with her as we continue down the trail, leaving Hooke and Neal slightly shocked.

I hear them follow up behind us quickly.

"Emma," I say.

"What?" She sighs.

"Just focus on Henry for now, focus your energy and magic on him."

"That's what I plan to do." She replies as Neal comes up beside me.

We continue our trek through the woods until we reach Mary Margaret and David back at camp.

"Yea I'm not lifting a finger until I see some proof—" we hear a voice talking as we walk into camp.

"We got it!" Neal says, holding the coconut. "Here's all the proof you need."

The woman who was talking looks surprised. She's got blonde hair in a bun and wearing a green tunic/dress.

"Tinkerbelle?" I softly ask Hooke.

He nods, "Careful love, she's not as friendly as your stories back at home."

"Where are her wings?"

"Eh," Hooke thinks for a moment. "Bit of a touchy subject."

I look back to Neal and Tinkerbelle, who seem to be happy to see each other.

"Been a long time Tink." Neal says as he smiles at Tinkerbelle.

"Bae." She smiles in return, walking up to him. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah," Neal says, "most people call me Neal now."

Hooke interrupts the reunion. "We did it." He tells the fairy. "Are you finally ready to do your part, Tink?"

Tinkerbelle looks at Mary Margaret, "Yes." She turns back towards Neal. "Yes I am."

We all follow her into the woods, leaving Emma and Neal alone.

Hooke stops to turn back but I push him into walking again.

"Give them some space." I say and he frowns at me before following Tinkerbelle.

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter! I've got a plan for the upcoming chapters and cannot wait for OUAT in January. Like when January comes I'll be updating probably after every episode, but until then we'll have quicker updates. Tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Henry is walking back to camp. He just met Wendy and has to find a way to save her. Neverland's dying, and so is she. He can't let that happen.

"Why so glum, chum?" Pan says behind Henry. He's sitting against a tree, like he was waiting for Henry, but stands up when Henry turn to face him.

"You said you weren't keeping any secrets." Henry tells Pan. "But you lied. I found Wendy."

"Henry." Pan begins. "I can explain—"

"She's dying isn't she?" Henry asks.

Pan nods grimly. "I'm afraid she is. Like much of the island. Because the magic here is slipping away. I would've told you," Pan looks at Henry with fake compassion. "I didn't want you to have that weight on your shoulders, knowing that a young girl's life depends on you."

Henry ponders this for a second, "So I'm the only one who can save magic?"

Pan sighs, "You are."

Henry looks up at Pan. "How do I do it?"

Pan smiles, "The question isn't how, Henry, it's where." He walks past Henry. "Follow me."

Henry follows Pan to a cliff.

"See that?" Pan asks, pointing to a small island.

"Is that Skull Rock?" Henry asks in return.

"Yes." Pan answers. "Inside is where our salvation awaits. Salvation that only the heart of the truest believer can bring."

"Me." Henry says.

"That's right, Henry." Pan says, "But I won't lie to you. It won't be easy." He looks at Henry. "It will require heroism, sacrifice."

Henry looks back at Pan.

"The only question is," Pan asks, "are you up to the task?"

Henry stares at Skull Rock. "Yes."

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

"I want to ask Tink how close we are to Pan's compound?" David asks as the rest of us follow her lead. "I don't want to be surprised by any Lost Boys on patrol.

"Good idea." Mary Margaret says as David goes to the front to talk to Tink.

Emma fills his spot alongside Mary Margaret, "Looks like you two buried the hatchet." I hear Emma tell her mom.

That's another thing I learned. Everyone here is somehow related to one another. Minus Hooke, he's just an extra for now until we discover more surprises.

I stop when I hear some bushes rustle up ahead. Everyone stops and draws a weapon.

Me? Well I have no way to defend myself for now so I stand close to Neal. Out of everyone in this group, he's the one I fully trust.

We watch the pushes and two figures come through, startled for a moment when they see us.

I recognize the woman with the blue blazer, who Neal told me was Regina, aka the Evil Queen, and behind her is Rumplestilskin.

I immediately step closer to Neal when I see Rumple.

Regina walks towards us, "If this is your version of a rescue party, you got here just in time."

"What are you two doing here?" Mary Margaret asks with confusion.

"Same as you," Regina answers as she gestures towards Rumplestilskin, "Except we actually have a chance."

I see he's holding a small box, no bigger than a rubix cube, but this box has something evil looking too it.

"Pandora's box." She says. _'Well that explains the evil look' _"It can trap Pan inside for eternity with just opening the lid."

My stomach flips at the thought. _'But why? Why do you care so much about Pan? He almost drowned you, don't you remember? But he did save you, and also spared your life in Dark Hollow.'_

Neal leans towards Emma, "You didn't tell me my father was with her."

"I didn't know," She says in return.

"Neal," I say softly.

"Don't worry," he says as he looks at me. "He won't hurt you, if he does I'll knock him out."

I look to Rumplestilskin, who's narrowed his eyes at me, making me extremely uncomfortable.

"Wait, your father is the Dark One?" Tink asks Neal.

"Yeah, and he's not getting anywhere near Henry."

"Bae," Rumple begins.

"Why?" Emma asks. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a prophecy that says Henry will be his undoing, he didn't come here to protect him he came here to kill him."

I gasp. "What?" I step towards Rumple. "Why on earth would you kill your own grandson?"

Rumple doesn't have a chance to speak as Regina cuts in. "That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back? Because you knew he'd spill your secret."

Rumple looks at Regina. "Everything I did was to protect Henry." He looks at all of us. "To rescue him from Pan."

Emma jumps forward with her knife. "It all makes sense! You left before me even made shore."

"You wanted to get to Henry first!" Mary Margaret exclaims as she loads an arrow on her bow.

"To be on his own." David says as he draws his own sword.

"So no one could stop you." Hooke says as he draws his weapon and points it at Rumple.

"So you can kill him." Regina sneers with disgust.

"That's not going to happen." Emma says surely as everyone has now corned Rumplestilskin. "Not unless you go through all of us first."

"You're making a mistake." Rumple says calmly. "I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him."

"Because that sounds just like you." Regina says.

"Without me you will fail." Rumple tells us. "I'm the most powerful amongst us."

"We can't trust you." Neal says to his father.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would, but I can't." Rumple insists to Neal.

"But you can give me Pandora's box." Neal gestures to it. "I don't have to trust you if I can stop you."

Rumple looks utterly distressed, "Son," And he hands Neal the box.

I'm honestly surprised, I thought he was sure to make a run for it.

"Look at me." Neal tells Rumplestilskin. "You so much as lift a finger to preform magic and you're going to spend an eternity in this box."

"Let's go!" Emma says as she starts heading towards Pan's compound.

Everyone walks past Rumple with distrust in their eyes. Neal and I follow but Rumple steps in front of us.

"Look," he tells Neal. "You may think you know who you're up against, but you don't."

"Then tell me." Neal says. "What really happened between you two?"

"Peter Pan destroyed my father." Rumple answers.

Neal rolls his eyes, "That still doesn't mean I'm going to trust you."

"I woke up the girl!" Rumple persists as he points towards me. "I could have left her to die in her sleep but I didn't. As soon as I got free from the squid ink I undid the spell."

"You can't gain my trust with magic." Neal says as he grabs my arm and pushes past Rumplestilskin.

I glance behind me as Rumple turns around to follow us. There's an undeniable anger in his eyes, but also a tremendous amount of sadness. When he catches my eye I turn back around as Neal and I catch up with the group.

Rumple catches up to us as well and we stop when we see Hooke and Emma talking.

"For how long?" Hooke asks Emma.

"Once the water runs out the Dream Shade _will_ take his life."

"Unless there was another cure." Rumple says as he steps out from behind Neal and me.

Hooke and Emma turn to him expectantly.

"You suddenly interested in what I have to say?" Rumple asks gloatingly. "Thought I wasn't to be trusted."

"You're not." Emma says sharply. "But I'll take my chances."

"Well if you remember I too was poisoned by Dream Shade by a cowardly pirate." And he gestures towards Hooke, who looks pleased to recall the memory.

"And yet—"

"Yea and we know how you cured yourself." Emma says. "The candle that takes another person's life David is not that selfish."

"How noble." Rumple smiles. "The point is, after my near death experience, I discovered much about the poison. I believe I could create an elixir, back in my shop."

"What's your price?" Emma asks, narrowing her eyes.

"Well this is, quite the favor." Rumple smiles, "I expect one of equal weight in return."

"No," Neal says as he steps towards Rumple. "When we get back to Story Brooke you're going to save David because it's the right thing to do. No deals, no favors, understand?"

"Fine." Rumple says as he creases his forehead. "I'll do what you ask."

"I'll go tell David." Emma says as she heads off after him.

Neal and Hooke follow, but not before Tink and David come through the trees, along with Mary Margaret and Regina.

"We're here." Tink says, "Pan's perimeter."

"It's time." Emma confirms. "Tink will sneak us in the camp like we planned, we grab Henry, in and out. Simple."

"You good with Pan patrol?" She asks Neal.

"Locked and loaded." He answers.

"You mind if I…" Rumple grabs Hooke's sword from his belt. "Borrow this? You see no magic, I agreed, but I'm not walking in there with nothing but my good looks."

"Now I on the other hand—" Hooke begins.

"Here." David tosses him a dagger. "In case your good looks fail you."

"Thanks mate."

Emma looks at all of us. "Let's get Henry."

I don't have any weapon at all, but no one seems to notice. I guess there's enough of them to hold off any Lost Boys.

_"Oh, this will be fun." _I hear Peter's voice in my head. I whip around in a circle, looking for any sign of Peter.

I don't see him anywhere, but there's no mistaking what I heard. He's inside my head, he knows we're here.

"Neal!" I shout softly, but he's too far away from me to hear me. Everyone's surrounded the camp, paying attention to the Lost Boys.

_"Three…two…one…" _Peter counts down and I see Regina wave her hand, right on Peter's timing, causing all of the Lost Boys to fall unconscious.

_"Good luck, Katherine. Just make sure you know whom to trust." _

_'Stop it!' _I whisper to myself. _'Get out of my head!'_ I turn my focus back to the group, whose started looking for Pan and Henry.

Suddenly a melody like none I've ever heard before fills my head. It's a pipe, _'Peter's pipe,' _And it's getting louder and louder.

I clamp my hands over my ears, trying to shut out the tune, but because it's in my head there's no escaping it.

"Ah!" I yell as I stumble to the ground.

The song Peter's playing is pounding in my head and it feels as if my head will explode. I curl into a ball, holding my head tightly, trying to escape the sound.

"Katherine?" A hand touches me and I jump away.

_'The melody's stopped.'_ I notice and I see Neal, squatting where I was, looking at me with concern.

"I'm fine." I say as I shake my head and get to my feet. I walk past Neal but Rumplestilskin blocks my path.

"I'd say you weren't fine, dearie."

I start to walk around him but he grabs my wrist and as soon as he touches me I hear a Peter yell so loudly and so terrifyingly it knocks both me and Rumple to the ground.

He looks at me with wide eyes. "Oh dear."

Neal runs over to us. "What the hell just happened?" He asks as he helps me to my feet.

"You didn't hear that?" I ask as I run my head.

"The only thing I hear was your cry before you both fell down." He looks at Rumple, who's brushing dust off his jacket.

Neal pins him against a tree. "What'd you do to her!?" he shouts.

"Nothing." Rumple says as he pushes Neal off of him. "It's Pan,"

Neal looks at me but I just shake my head. "I don't know what's happening."

"We'll figure this out, I promise." Neal says as he leads me into camp.

"Where is Pan?" He asks as we step into camp.

"I don't know." Emma says worriedly. "Henry?"

"He's got to be somewhere." David says.

"Where?" Mary Margaret asks as she looks behind some boxes.

"Help!" we hear a voice cry not far from us.

Rumple looks at me as everyone rushes towards the voice.

"Whatever Pan's doing to you, it's not good."

"I got that much from the yell."

"You don't understand, Katherine." Rumple tries to grab my arm but I back away.

"I don't want to understand!" I say and he looks at me with knitted brows. "I don't know what's been going on for the past few days but it's been way too crazy and I can't take any more surprises! I am sick and tired of everyone telling me Peter's protecting me when I've almost died multiple times because of him! So forgive me if I don't want to know anymore!"

He nods his head, and we hear Mary Margaret call us.

I sigh and we hurriedly get to the others. I see a girl about my age, in a nightgown, hugging Neal.

"What are you doing here?" He asks her.

"Why I…I came back to save you." She answers.

"You'd do that for me?" Neal asks.

"Well, I couldn't bear for you to be without a family. Not after you told us that both your mother and father were dead."

Rumple steps in front of me. "You told her I was dead?"

"It's easier than telling the truth." Neal responds, slightly annoyed. "My own father abandoned me."

"Guys, let's just get her by the fire and then we can talk." Emma says.

* * *

Once we're seated, the girl, who's introduced herself as Wendy, answers our questions.

"Hey Wendy," Neal asks as he squats down in front of her. "Since you've been here have you seen my son? His name's Henry."

"You have a son?" Wendy asks.

"Yeah, Pan needs his heart." Neal replies.

"Has he said anything about the heart of the truest believer?" Emma asks.

Wendy shakes her head, "No. I'm sorry. He never mentioned anything about a heart."

_'She's lying.' _I think to myself.

"She's lying." Rumple states, confirming my thoughts. "Where is he." He walks towards Wendy with his sword extended.

"Woah," David says as he holds Rumple back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I've carried enough lies in my life to recognize the burden. She knows where Henry is."

Neal bites his lip. "Is that true?"

Wendy looks defeated. "You don't understand."

"You're helping Pan?" Mary Margaret asks with disbelief.

"He's keeping John and Michael alive, only if I do what he says."

"Listen to me." Rumple says. "Whatever he's promised, he will go back on his word."

"And why should I trust a man who abandoned his own son?" Wendy asks.

"Because your brothers did." Regina says, "they trusted a woman named Belle, they helped her get this box so we can defeat Pan."

Wendy looks relieved. "They're ok?"

"For now." Rumple says. "And only if we succeed."

"Wendy." Neal says as he squats next to her again. "We will save John and Michael I swear to God, but right now, I really need your help…please."

She nods. "Pan told Henry that he needs his heart to save magic. It's a lie. He needs it to save himself."

"What do you mean?" David asks.

"Pan's dying." Wendy responds and I feel a wave of fear slam into me. "He needs the heart of the truest believer. To absorb all the magic in Neverland. And once he does, he will be immortal…All powerful."

"And what happens to Henry?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Well it's a trade." Wendy says. "When Pan lives, Henry will die."

Everyone lets out a small breath.

I look to Rumple, but he just nods to confirm it's the truth.

_'This means that either Pan lives or Henry lives. Either way one of them dies.'_

"Is there another way?" I ask, snapping everyone out of their thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Emma asks, "We just have to make sure Henry doesn't give him his heart. If Pan dies we're done, we just need to get Henry."

"She means is there a way both Henry _and_ Pan can live." Hooks says, stepping forward.

Everyone looks at me like I've gone out of my mind. I realize Hooke's right, I don't want either of them to die.

Emma walks up to me. "You want to save that sick bastard!?"

"I don't know!" I say.

"He's captured her heart, quite literally." Rumplestilskin announces. "He knows what she feels and thinks, he knew we were coming."

"You told him we were coming?" Hooke demands as he grabs me and puts his hook under my chin, just like the first time met.

"I didn't say anything! I swear!" I swallow and feel the cold metal pressing into my throat.

"Enough!" Neal shouts as he yanks me away from Hooke. "If she doesn't know anything then she doesn't know anything! Pan did something to her, she's not a traitor!"

Hooke just glares at me with venomous eyes.

"How do we stop Pan?" David asks Wendy.

"Pan took Henry to Skull Rock, but you haven't got much time."

"Then we stay behind." David tells Mary Margaret. "Someone needs to guard the Lost Boys from when they wake up."

"You don't need to stay here alone." Emma says.

"Emma's right." Mary Margaret points out as she turns to Emma. "You get him home, and you tell him we love him."

"Tell him yourself." Emma says. "When you get back from Dead Man's Peak. Gold can cure you we just need to bring some of the water back with us to Story Brooke."

Mary Margaret rushes over and hugs Emma. "I knew you didn't give up." She turns to Rumple, who's apparently named Gold now. "Thank you." She says.

"Well apparently that's the only thing I need these days." He says back to her.

"Tink and I'll take care of things here, and meet you back at the Jolly Roger when you find Henry." Hooke says.

"Promise me if your father and I don't make it back you'll get him home." Mary Margaret asks Emma.

"We're all going home." She looks at me. "Together."

"Speaking of together," Hooke says. "Katherine's staying here with me while you get Henry. We don't want her near Pan while he's around Henry."

"Ok." I say. "I don't know what Pan's done to me, but I don't want to put Henry in danger. I'll stay here."

Neal nods at me and he, Gold, Emma, and Regina head off towards Skull Rock while Mary Margaret and David go to Dead Man's Peak.

Once they leave Hooke pushes me down next to Felix, who's still unconscious from the spell. He grabs some rope and ties my hands together, then to the tree.

I don't resist, I can't afford to make them think I'm against them.

"Just in case." Hook says with a smirk.

"Do you really think that's a smart idea?" Tink asks Hook. "She might be able to help us."

"I don't want to take any chances." Hook says as he stands up and turns his back to me.

* * *

**Early Update! Surprise! **

**Also, funny story about me writing this. I write it on microsoft word and left it on my computer (chapter 1) and my mom found it and read it to my dad and was horrified about the story and she just kind of watched me weirdly for a while until i asked her what was up and she was like, "Is this about you?" I cannot tell you how much profanity went through my mind in less than five seconds. These stories are for you, not her. So I shrugged it off, laughing and telling her I write happy and sad stuff. Plus she doesn't watch OUAT so she has no clue what any of this meant. Needless to say, I love passwords now. **

**Enjoy this chapter! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"Henry wait!" Neal shouts as they run into the cave only to see Henry pull out his heart. "Whatever Pan's telling you to do don't do it."

"Dad!" Henry exclaims as he turns around. "You're alive?"

"I am." Neal says. "Now I need you to listen to me. Pan is lying to you."

"Oh, pleasure to see you too Baelfire." Pan smirks. "Not to mention the savior, and the Evil Queen."

"Henry." Emma says softly but sternly. "You need to get away from him now he's trying to hurt you."

"No!" Henry says. "The heart of the truest believer. It's what's going to save magic! It's going to save all of you!"

"No, it's not." Regina says. "This was never about magic, Henry. You have to believe us. The only person Pan's interested in saving is himself."

"That's not true!" Henry shouts.

"Course it isn't." Pan reassures Henry.

"Yes it is!" Neal says. "Pan can't live without you dying, if you give him your heart it's going to kill you."

"There trying to stem your belief Henry, but don't let them." Peter says as he puts a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Remember, every hero gets tested."

"Henry." Emma calls out. "I know what being a hero looks like and this isn't it."

Henry looks to Pan, "Why would they lie?"

"Because that's what adults do, Henry." Pan says. "You know that better than anyone."

"Henry." Regina pleads. "You have to believe us."

"Your parents don't care about Neverland, Henry." Peter tells him. "They know if you give your heart to save then you'll have to stay." He walks behind Henry. "They're being selfish because they don't want to lose you."

"Henry you have to trust us." Emma says softly.

"Trust!?" Pan shouts. "I'm the only one who's ever been honest with you Henry. The only one who ever believed in you. This is your choice, not theirs." Pan looks at the hourglass, which is almost empty. "You have to choose now, we're running out of time."

"We believe in you, Henry." Neal says.

"Because we love you." Emma adds.

"More than anything." Regina also adds.

"I love you too." Henry says to his parents. "But I have to save magic."

"No no no no!" Neal says as Henry turns to Pan.

"I'm sorry." Henry says as he shoves his heart inside of Peter.

"No!" Emma and Regina shout, but it's too late.

A shockwave rocks Neverland, knocking Emma, Regina, and Neal back while Henry falls to the ground.

Back at camp, the wave hits everyone, waking up the Lost Boys.

Mary Margaret and David feel it too, and they look at each other with worry.

Pan smiles as he flies upward.

"Henry!" Emma cries as she rushes to his side.

Peter looks down at the parents and Henry's fallen form.

He smiles a dark grin and stares at them with evil in his eyes.

"Oh God," Emma says worriedly as she shakes Henry. "Is he unconscious?"

"Henry?" Regina asks. "Can you hear us?"

"He passed out as soon as his heart went into Pan," Neal says.

"Is he breathing?" Regina asks him.

Suddenly Pan floats down to the ground and stands before the adults.

"What the hell did you do to him!?" Emma shouts at Pan.

Pan smiles. "Oh I didn't do anything, Emma. "It was Henry! He offered me his heart out of his own free will."

Emma stands up and draws her sword. "Then I'm going to take it back from you." She lunges at Peter but he disappears.

He reappears behind her with Pandora's box. "I don't think you have it in you." He starts circling them. "Rumplestilskin didn't, why should you?"

"Where is he?" Emma asks harshly.

"What did you do?" Neal asks as he stands up.

"Why he's right in this box." Pan says gloatingly. "Safe and sound. He's out of the way, and unfortunately for you he can't hurt me anymore…and neither can you."

"Really?" Emma asks him as she slashes her sword towards Pan, nicking his forearm. "How did that feel?"

Pan smiles darkly at her, "Like a tickle." He flies upward and out of the cave.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

"Gold is in a box?" I hear Mary Margaret ask Emma. "And David can never leave the island?"

The group got back a little while ago, holding what appeared to be Henry's lifeless body in their arms, but Emma assured me he was alive.

_As soon as Neal saw me tied up next to Felix, who happens to be the worst person to be tied up next to, he demanded to know what happened. _

_Hooke told him no chances would be taken, and wouldn't budge when Neal tried to push past him to untie me. _

_"It's ok, Neal." I had said. "If Pan's in my head I don't want him to make me do anything to hurt you or Henry." _

_Neal had just looked at me with sadness, and after a prompt push from Hooke, backed away._

I stop listening to the adults and turn to Felix, who's got a smirk on his face.

I slap him, causing him to whip his head to look at me with an undeniable murderous look in his eyes.

"How can you smile?" I ask him. "Henry's dying, if not dead already. Your sacred Pan just killed a kid."

Felix's eyes darken as he turns his gaze away from me. "That was the plan, kitten, now Pan's immortal." He looks back at me with a horrid smile. "We won."

I'm about to say something when Regina stomps up to us and grabs Felix by his shoulders. "WHERE IS HE!?" She shouts at him.

"Gone." Felix simply answers. "There's nothing you can do. He's already won. Pan never fails."

"You won't talk." Regina sneers as she lifts a clutched hand to his chest. "How bout I make you talk."

She shoves her hand forward to rip out his heart but not before Emma catches it.

"Regina wait," Emma says.

"There's no time!" Regina tells her as she backs away from Felix.

"I don't think torture is our best move here." Emma softly says. "Look at these kids they've been to hell and back. We need to try something else."

"Yeah, well we tried the cute and cuddly." Regina says to Emma. "They don't respond to reason. What else do you have to offer?"

Emma looks at Mary Margaret. "What every kid wants." Mary Margaret raises her brows, confused. "A mother."

She crouches down so she's eye level with the tied up Lost Boys. "Guys, we are not going to hurt you."

"What a load of shit." Felix says to me where no one else can hear him.

"What do you mean?" I sigh as I watch Emma try to convince the boys to join her.

Felix looks at me, "Don't pretend like you don't know."

I knit my brows together, "No, I really don't know."

He leans closer to me. "Come on, kitten, you know they're lying. As soon as they save Henry, if they save him, which they won't, but if they did they would get off this island faster than lighting and gladly leave behind everyone who's not part of their sweet little family…including you."

I look back at Neal, then Hooke, then Regina. These people care about family. That's all that matters to them.

I'm not their family, why would they want to keep me around?

"I'm not interested in going with them or staying behind." I whisper to Felix. "I just want to save Henry and find out what Pan did to me."

"Then ask him, kitten." Felix smiles before turning back to watch Emma and the others talk to the boys.

I widen my eyes as I realize what Felix just said I can do.

_'Peter?' _I think in my head. _'What's happening?'_

_…_

I hear a soft, but horrid laugh in my mind that's definitely Pan's.

I elbow Felix sharply, making him glare at me.

"Why is he in my head?" I whisper as loudly as I dare, as so not to draw attention from the others.

Felix is about to answer me when his gaze shifts slightly to the left, behind the side of the tree we're tied too.

He smiles and nods to where's he's looking, and before I can turn around a hand clamps over my mouth and rips me away from the tree.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know, but it just worked out this way. The others will be longer like the previous ones. I updated earlier today because I'll be gone but let me just say I love seeing your reviews! They keep me motivated and feel like what I write is actually good. **

**So I love you and hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

…"If that can happen to me, it can happen to you." Emma says to the Lost Boys as she looks towards Felix.

He leans forward, "Pan is the only family we need."

"No," Emma says. "Family doesn't do what he did, Pan lied to you and made you do terrible things." She points towards Henry. "He lied to Henry and made him convinced to give up his own heart!"

"To save the Island." A smaller Lost Boy says.

"No to save himself!" Emma pleads.

"Don't listen to her," Felix says smoothly. "Pan cares about all of us."

"No, he doesn't." Emma shoots back. "We care about you, and we can save you!" She stands up. "We can take you home with us, too our land. Until he absorbs the power from Henry's heart, he can be stopped."

"You just have to tell us where he is." Mary Margaret speaks softly.

"Leave now, while Pan still allows you to breathe." Felix hisses as he tries stands up, even though his hands are tied, but he's pushed down quickly by Hooke. "That's the only hope you'll get."

Emma walks over to Felix. "Where. Is. Pan."

Felix smirks, "Not. Telling."

"Can you really bring us home?" The small Lost Boy asks Emma.

"Shut your mouth!" Felix snaps at him.

Emma kneels in front of him. "Yes. With your help."

The small Lost Boy looks up at her. "His Thinking Tree."

"NO!" Felix shouts.

"Yes!" Another Lost Boy confirms. "His Thinking Tree."

"Stop it! All of you!" Felix yells as he struggles to get free under Hooke's grasp.

"What is that?" Emma asks, smiling.

"It's where he goes when he wants to be alone." The small Lost Boy answers.

"You can find him there, it's not far." The other one says.

"No!" Felix shouts, "Don't trust her."

"Can you tell us where that is?" Emma asks them.

"Yeah," The small Lost Boy says. "But you have to swear. Swear that you'll take all of us with you."

Emma has tears in her eyes. "I promise. We are going home. All of us."

* * *

"The Pixie Woods?" Regina asks. "That's where it is?"

"It's just north of here. It's where the Pixie Dust used to grow."

Emma stands and looks at Hooke. "You know where that is?"

"Aye," He nods. "The whole region is deserted now. No way Pan has set foot in those woods in centuries."

"Then let's make history." Neal says.

Emma walks over to him. "We're going to need you here. Once we get Henry's heart it's going to be a race back here we need help from both ends."

"What do you need from us?" David asks.

"Let's gather up the Lost Boys, get them on the Jolly Roger, prepare the ship to fly." Neal says as the Lost Boys look at each other smiling, realizing they're finally going home.

"Let's hope the Pegasus winds will sail," Hook says doubtfully. "Otherwise we're at the mercy of the trade winds."

Neal holds up his bag. "Pan's shadow can get us home. As long as your ship holds together."

Hook looks annoyed. "Well as long as your plan holds together."

Neal faces Emma. "Henry's going to be with me the entire time, nothing is going to happen while you too are away."

"You mean three." Mary Margaret says. "I may be trapped on this island for eternity but if you think I'm not spending my last moments with my daughter, you're crazy."

"Ok." Emma smiles. "Let's do it."

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

I struggle from my captor until he releases me, throwing me on the ground.

I look up and see we're not near the camp anymore, but by a large tree in a different clearing.

I spin around and turn towards my kidnapper, who I expected all too well to be Peter Pan.

"What did you do to me?" I shout at him as I stand up. Peter just appears in front of me and pushes me back down.

"I didn't do anything to you." He says roughly as he looks down at me.

Forget what I said about ever thinking I was falling for Pan, it's clear to see he's heartless, even if he has Henry's heart inside of him. Yet there's still this unseen force drawing me to him which makes me all the more worried.

I kick his legs out from under him, but he can fly so he catches himself quite easily.

"You killed Henry!" I scream at him as get to my feet and shove him away from me. "You almost killed me, and you're trying to kill everyone else! All you do is hurt people!"

Henry grips my wrists harshly, causing me to cry out in pain.

"You hurt yourself purposely," Peter says. "What's the difference in me hurting others?"

"I didn't kill an innocent kid." I say through gritted teeth.

"He gave me his heart willingly." Peter says with pride.

"You lied to him." I hiss. "You tricked him to give his life for a sick, evil, twisted son of a bitch." Emma's words come out of my mouth.

Henry backhands me, causing me to fall against the tree.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way!" He shouts as he pulls me back up by yanking my arm.

However, Peter's got new strength, so I slip from his grasp and land on the ground, _hard_, knocking the wind out of me.

Peter sits on my stomach, trapping me on the ground.

"You want to know why you're here? You want to know what your part in all of this is?" Peter shouts at me with rage.

"I don't want to hear anything from you!" I scream at him. "All you say is lies! All you are is a liar!"

Peter looks at me angrily, then his face softens into a subdued rage. "You're a bigger piece to this puzzle than you know." He says as he pins my shoulders down when I try to sit up.

"Who are your parents?" He asks me.

I look at him with confusion, "They're just normal people."

"No!" He says as he leans closer. "Not your adoptive parents, your _real_ parents."

I stare at Peter with tears in my eyes. "I don't know…" I whisper.

"Aw, poor Katherine," Peter says softly, wiping a tear away. "But you do, you see, you've already met your father."

I open my eyes wide as I look at him. "What do you mean?" I choke out.

"Neal." Peter says simply, getting off of me.

I lay in frozen, too shocked to move.

_'How could Neal be my father?'_ My thoughts are racing. _'How…how could he…'_

"It was a one night thing," Peter says casually, setting Pandora's Box on a rock. "Neal was drunk, he met a pretty girl, and nine months later you showed up."

I just stare at Peter, mouth agape.

"Oh don't worry," he says as he looks down at me. "Neal knows he has a daughter, he even looked for you for years. But eventually he gave up on you. Told himself a one night stand didn't mean anything and that you'd be better without him."

"You're lying." I say through tears, even though I know he's telling the truth.

"Am I?" Peter says as he pulls me up.

Suddenly I can hear footsteps through the trees. I turn to meet whoever's coming, but Peter spins me back around to face him.

"Now," he tells me as he wipes a tear away. "You're going to go back to camp and act as if none of this happened."

My feet start moving on their own accord, I'm too much in shock to realize what happened.

As I walk behind some bushes I hear Emma and Mary Margaret cry out as they're slammed into something, but I keep walking.

After only a few minutes I stumble back into camp by the tree Hooke tied me too.

I look around but the camp's deserted in the ten minutes I was away.

Fear of being left behind consumes me and I run to the middle of the camp.

"NEAL!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "DAVID! ANYONE!"

I turn around as someone comes through the trees. David stops when he sees me, and draws his sword.

"David!" I say, relieved even though he's pointing his weapon at my chest.

"How did you escape from camp?" He asks me.

"Peter grabbed me, but he let me go." I say, leaving out the part where he told me Neal was my freaking father.

David eyes me carefully before sheathing his sword and grabbing my arm.

"Come on." He says as we walk to where he came from. "We've got to get on the ship."

* * *

We step aboard and I see Hooke shove Felix down next to the edge of the ship.

Felix looks up and catches my eye. He smirks and shakes his head.

"Nice to see you again, kitten."

I'm suddenly filled with rage.

"YOU KNEW!" I scream as I lunge at Felix, tackling him. "YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU BASTARD!"

Felix tries to kick me off of him but I punch him in the face, causing a trickle of blood to come out of his mouth.

"WHY WOULD I?" Felix shouts as he dodges another punch, managing to push me off of him.

I just stare at him, with fire in my eyes, and try to kick him.

Felix grabs my foot and twists it behind me, but not before I yank him downwards by his jaw.

Before I know it we're screaming terrible things at each other as I punch him and he shoves me and it takes Hooke, Neal, and David to pull me off of Felix, who looks slightly pleased.

"That's enough for now, love." Hooke tells me as he places his arm with the hook in front of me when I step towards Felix.

All of a sudden Emma, Regina, and Mary Margaret step onto the boat.

"Henry?" Emma calls. "Where is he?"

"He's over here!" Neal answers, waving them up by the stern.

They all follow him and go to where I assume Henry's body is.

I stay put, not really knowing what to do since apparently I'm Neal's daughter…which makes Henry my step brother…Emma my ex step mother…and Gold is my grandfather…

I look up at them all and see Henry hugging Regina and Emma.

"I'm sorry." I hear Henry say. "I wanted to save magic."

"It's ok." Emma says as she hugs him.

"I wanted to be a hero." Henry insists.

"There's a place where there's plenty of time for that." David says.

_"It's not over yet, Katherine, just you wait."_ Pan says in my mind. I turn around and look at Felix, who's rubbing his jaw where I punched him.

He looks up at me and sees the horror in my face and smiles.

"It's him isn't it?" He asks devilishly.

I nod, and start shaking.

_'They got Henry's heart back, shouldn't Pan be dead?'_

"Pan's definitely not done with you." Felix says as he leans against the railing, satisfied that his leader's back to doing evil.

_"I can't wait for you to see the surprises I have in store." _Pan tells me and I feel sick to my stomach.

I gasp for air, which seems to have suddenly run out.

"Shit!" I say, turning away from Felix. "Felix I can't breathe! I can't see!"

I hear him say something, but it's muffled from the ringing in my ears.

"I have to get out of here!" I scream above the sound in my head. I try to run but can't move.

Mary Margaret and everyone else starts coming down the steps when everything starts turning sideways.

"Katherine?" Mary Margaret says as she begins running towards me.

My vision goes fuzzy as my head hits the deck.

* * *

**Another cliffhanger! Let me just say after seeing the most recent OUAT I'm so excited for you to read the upcoming chapters. I've already written them and have to hold myself back from posting all of them at once! **

**Write some reviews for me! I love reading them! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

I wake up in a bed, and blink as my eyes adjust to the candlelight.

"I'll see you soon." I hear Regina say. "My little prince."

I look over to the bed across the small space and see her sitting on Henry's bed.

_'Henry!' _I think. _'You're safe!'_

Regina climbs up the ladder and closes the hatch.

Henry looks over at me. "You're awake!"

I sit up slowly, rubbing my head from where I hit it earlier. "Yeah," I smile at him. "All though I'm not so sure I'm bright and shiny and new just yet."

"You'll be ok when we get back to Story Brooke." Henry says as he sits up to adjust his blanket on his feet. "Everyone will be ok."

I smile as he lies down before my smile disappears. Pan's standing over Henry with a dagger in his hand.

"Henry!" I yell before Pan shoves his hand in the air towards me, knocking me against the wall before I fall back to the bed.

"Pan?" Henry asks as Pan steps towards me and with the snap of his fingers I feel a gag around my mouth.

I try to jump over to protect Henry but I'm pinned against the wall with Pan's magic.

"No!" I try to scream through the gag, but no one hears me.

Pan turns toward Henry, yielding the glinting knife.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this Henry." Pan says as he puts the knife to Henry's chest.

"What…what are you doing?" Henry asks as he shifts backwards.

"I wanted your heart, Henry." Pan tells him as he touches the tip of the knife to where Henry's heart is. "But your mother took it away from me, and left me for dead."

Pan clenches his hand and attempts to pull out Henry's heart. "You're mistaken." He says.

I see Henry winch in pain before Pan's hand is shocked by a jolt from Henry. He looks shocked for only a moment before that hideous anger of his returns.

"Oh how clever." Pan hisses as he looks at his hand.

A small wave of relief washes over me but is gone when I see Pan grabs Henry's back and start to rip out his shadow.

"MMMMMPPPPPHHHHHH!" I scream through my gag.

"What are you doing?" Henry screams in pain as the horrific sound of his shadow being ripped away reaches my ears.

Pan uses both hands and tugs at the shadow.

"Blood magic works both ways." I hear a voice say. I can't turn my head to see who it is but I know it's Gold. "Father." And he clicks the button on Pandora's Box, opening the lid.

Pan's eyes widen and he turn back to Henry and locks eyes.

Pan looks around for a split moment before widening his own eyes in panic.

"NO!" He shouts as he's sucked into the box.

Henry lays back on the bed as Gold closes the lid. He looks at me and snaps his fingers like Pan and I fall from the wall, thankful to land on the soft cot. Gold walks over and helps me off, lifting the gag over my head.

"Henry?" I hear Regina say as she climbs down the ladder. "Henry?! Oh Henry!" And she rushes to his side. "Are you ok?"

"It's ok." Henry says, sighing in relief. "I'm ok."

"Are you sure?" Regina asks, checking Henry for injuries.

Before we make it to the ladder Gold stops. "He's a strong boy, Regina. You raised him well."

He turns back and he helps me up the ladder.

We step onto the deck as Regina follows us up.

Felix looks at me but immediately looks away when I catch his eye. I turn towards Gold as the Lost Boys and everyone but me and Gold start preparing the ship to leave Neverland.

"Did you know?" I ask him.

Gold looks at me for a moment, pondering whether or not to answer. Finally he sighs. "Yes, Katherine, I knew."

I let out a shaky breath and look down as Gold places a hand on my shoulder. "It will be all right, dear." I look up at him. "My family's a strong one."

I manage a small smile before sitting down on the edge of a barrel, ironically close to Felix. We watch as Emma lights a canon that Neal releases Pan's shadow into, blowing it into the sail.

Regina suddenly unleashes a magical bind on the shadow that melts it into the sail, turning it from white to black.

"Will it fly?" Emma asks, unsure that they succeeded.

"It has no choice." Regina answers, smiling darkly at the sail.

I look at Felix, who's now sulking.

Serves him right for everything he's done.

I turn my gaze towards Henry, who's come down the stairs to the main deck with a plate of food. He sits next to Felix, who seems very unhappy to have his solitude disturbed.

"Go away boy," he says. "Not hungry."

I watch as Henry looks at Felix, who tries to ignore him.

"But I came to thank you." Henry tells him.

Felix turns and looks back at Henry. "No matter what those traitors do, I'm on Pan's side, and Pan—"

"Never fails." Henry interrupts.

I turn my full attention to listening to the boys, curious to see where Henry's going with this statement.

"What?" Felix asks.

"You hear me." Henry says. "Peter Pan never fails, he can't be stopped. Even when they think he's defeated, when they think they've won. He finds a way."

Felix sit up straighter. "So you think you're not safe?"

"Oh no I'm perfectly safe." I hear Henry say.

I stop listening when I hear that. I stand up and walk towards Neal, but stop in my tracks when I hear a voice in my head.

_"Katherine!" _Peter's voice cries in my mind.

I widen my eyes, Peter couldn't talk to me if he's trapped in a box, could he?

_"Katherine! It's not Pan! It's me! It's Henry!"_

I turn around and look back to Henry and Felix, who are smirking with satisfaction over something unknown.

Henry turns his head and when he catches my eye I see a glint of darkness flash through his eyes.

"Oh no." I say softly.

Henry looks back to Felix. "Now, let's play."

* * *

**AH ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER! Don't worry they all even out in the end.**

**But may I just say you have no idea how hard I laughed when I read the review that said, "Felix is a little shit" That just made my day and I wanted to tell my friends and be like "FELIX IS A LITTLE SHIT!" but then I remembered no one knows I write this but you guys and that would be slightly awkward...so I leave my laughter to share with you and thank you for your reviews. I smile and as you now know laugh hysterically at the awesome ones. I love you all again and can't wait for you to read the future chapters. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V**

We land back in Stay Bridge, no, sorry, Story Brooke, and from the railing of Hooke's ship I can see practically the whole town cheering on the crew as each person steps off board.

Gold, aka Granddad, catches my eye before he steps off the ship and I see a woman in a red coat look overjoyed to see him.

Everyone's hugging and smiling, rejoicing at their reunion together.

Everyone but me, Hooke, and Regina, who all seem out of place.

I sigh and continue to watch the crowd. Suddenly someone knocks into me as they pass me, causing my elbows to slip off the rails and for me to hit my ribs against the side of the boat.

I look who hit me and see Felix walking off the boat, smiling darkly at me before he looks at Henry.

_'Is Pan really in Henry's body? Is that even possible? Well apparently a lot of things are possible since I'm pretty sure I've already spotted a man who seriously resembles Jiminy Cricket, the seven dwarves, Ariel, and possibly the entire population of Fairy Tale characters. _

"Hey," Neal says as he walks past me to the exit off the ship. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be off in a minute." I smile as he nods and heads to see Gold and that woman in the red coat.

These people, these fairy tale characters, they all seem so happy. Did they all really get their happily ever after's? I mean, is this what it looks like?

What about me? How am I supposed to tell Neal I'm 97.7985634 % sure I'm his own flesh and blood. And why hasn't Gold told him if he knew all along?

I put my head on the backs of my head and groan.

"Yeah, mate, I'm not much for family reunions either." Hooke says as he stands next to me and looks over the crowd.

I look at him for a moment. "What happens now? What are you going to do?"

"Well I was planning on winning Emma's heart…" Hooke sighs as he plays with the buttons on his trench coat. "But I fear my plan might be to no avail."

"Hooke…" I begin.

Before I can say anything else he smiles and cuts me off. "Don't worry about me, love. I'll make it just fine."

Hooke tilts his head at me before going to the upper deck of his ship.

_"Stay close to Felix. It's your only chance." _Pan's voice says to me in my head.

I look around to make sure I won't be over heard. "Henry?" I speak softly. "Henry what do I do?"

_"Get the box from Gold."_

_'But they'll suspect me of trying to help Pan, who, by the way Henry, since you've missed a lot in the few hours you've been trapped, Pan's my great grandfather and you're my step brother.'_

_"What?" _Pan's voice shouts in my head.

'…'

_"I can feel his emotions…" _Pan/Henry says quietly. _"None are of love, only lust and evil." _

I catch my breath when I hear that. Great grandfather or not, I felt emotions so strong towards Peter I thought for sure they were love. But it turns out he just tricked me like the rest of them.

I want it to be different. I want to be able to love Peter without the relations or evil in his heart.

But I can't.

I hastily wipe away a tear that's trickled down my cheek.

_'All right Henry,' _I tell him in my mind. _'I'm going to save you.'_

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Henry makes his way towards Felix, who's alone, observing all of the happiness with disgust and hatred.

"What do you have in mind, Peter?" He asks when Henry walks over to him. "What if someone decides to open that box and let the real boy out?"

"That's not the problem." Henry looks up at Felix. "Trust me."

"What's the next stop?" Felix asks quietly.

"You need to be punished." Henry tells him. Felix widens his eyes with question as Henry turns towards his family.

"Hey mom! Dad! What about Felix! He's still free!" The adults turn towards Henry with concern when they see him next to Felix, who's very confused.

"What are you doing?" Felix hisses.

"They need to trust me." Henry answers.

Regina walks up to Felix along with the others. "Henry's right." She says as she looks at his chest where his heart is. "Can't just let Felix walk away freely."

"Oh, don't worry." David says. "We've got plenty of cell space for this guy." He grabs Felix roughly by the shoulder and guides him away.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

David leads Felix away as I step off the boat.

"No, David, where are you taking him?" I say to myself as I quicken my steps.

I start to follow them when someone grabs my arm.

"Katherine, why don't you go to the diner with Emma and Henry." Mary Margaret tells me. "You must be exhausted and starving after all this time."

It's not until she says starving that my stomach nearly causes an earthquake as it growls. I was so busy trying to stay alive and save Henry in Neverland I forgot about my hunger.

But now that I'm here it hits me, followed by a wave of nausea.

"All right," I say as I smile at her and David before following a few yards behind Emma and Henry to the diner.

Once there, I sit on a bar stool while Henry and Emma are in a booth behind me. I tried to be polite, but after knowing that Henry's not Henry, I can't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

I hear Emma place something that sounds like a heavy book on the table.

"Well don't look too excited." She says to Henry. "Neal still had it in his room we thought you'd want it. I guess you just lived a fairy tale of your own."

After some silence I hear Henry, "Right," He says, "thanks."

_How do I tell Emma her son isn't her son? He's going to do something awful here, but I can't stop him without them probably killing me if they don't know the truth. But then again how do I even tell the truth…_

"What can I get you, sweetheart?" An older woman asks me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Apple juice, please." I say and she looks at me with hesitation before nodding and disappearing behind a door.

After a moment she's back with a bottle of juice along with a small bundle of clothes. She sets both on the bar in front of me.

"What are these?" I ask, picking up a pair of black tights.

"Those are my granddaughter's, Ruby's old things, and sweetheart it's winter and you're wearing nothing but a tank top and long johns out in this cold."

I blush, forgetting I'm wearing Henry's _under_ underwear. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it, anytime." She says sliding a glass to Hooke, who sits a few stools away from me. He lifts his glass to me before Neal's back fills my field of vision.

I slide off the bar stool as my bare feet hit the cold tile. I'm suddenly filled with gratitude towards that woman for the clothes and even pair of shoes she just gave me.

I look down at Henry as I walk out of the diner and when he catches my eye I swear I can see pure evil looking back at me.

I shudder as I walk to the door and push it open.

Once I step outside a chilly wind hits me, blowing my rat's nest of hair around my face as I look around, searching for somewhere to go.

It just recently (recently being exactly 12 seconds ago) dawned on me that I have nowhere to go. I'm not going home until I save Henry, that's for sure, and even then I have no idea how to get home.

I sigh and sit on the curb, crossing my arms over my bundle of clothes and close my eyes, trying to think.

* * *

**The Next Morning…**

"Thank you, Tink." I say as she finishes brushing out my hair.

"No problem, I think we all deserve a little kindness after what happened in Neverland." She smiles and sets the brush down.

_"Katherine?" Tink had asked me yesterday when she saw me sitting on the curb. "What exactly are you doing?" _

_"Trying to figure that out myself." I had told her as I stood up, still holding my new clothes. _

_"Well you certainly won't get anywhere shivering out here in the cold." She told me, taking my arm. "Come on, you can stay with me until you figure things out." _

_I stayed with Tink in an apartment and took a well needed shower. She was more comfortable in her fairy attire, so she just tidied things up while I took care of myself. _

_I found an old oversized t shirt in a drawer, so I slept in that. But in the morning I decided to wear the clothes that Granny, as I learned, had given me. _

Tink leaves the bathroom, and I stand up, examining myself in the mirror.

My hair is in smooth waves, draping over my shoulder. The dress Granny gave me is a black long sleeve lace dress that comes to the middle of my thigh. Thankfully her granddaughter was my size, because anything past a size 2 would never fit me.

The tights are thick and warm, and they highlight the thinness of my ankles. Granny also gave me a pair of black ballet flats, and thankfully those fit me as well.

I grab the juice bottle from yesterday and finish the last of it before throwing it away.

"Hey Tink?" I call as I step out of the bathroom. "Where do we—"

I stop, hearing another person talking to her. I step closer to the door and see none other than Hooke himself, looking depressed and slightly drunk.

"I may have lost my wings but I haven't lost my dignity." Tink says firmly as I come into the hallway. "That's never going to happen—"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" All three of us whip around towards the scream we heard.

I turn and look at Tink before racing towards the door, hearing her and Hooke follow behind me.

As I stop outside I see Emma and David get out of their truck, looking to wherever the sound could have come from.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asks as she looks at Hooke.

"I could have asked the same question." He says.

Emma looks from Hooke to Tink. "Wait, were you too…?"

"No!" Tink cuts in quickly.

"Perhaps." Hooke interrupts.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" We hear it again and all take off, running towards the victim of the scream.

We run and see a woman, lying on the ground after Pan's shadow flies away.

_Oh no, he's really here. _

I look and see David checking the woman's pulse. He looks up at us and shakes his head. "She's gone."

"Why would the shadow kill her?" Tink asks Emma.

"No idea love," Hooke answers. "But I do know the shadow only takes orders from one person."

"Pan." Emma and I say at the same time.

She looks at me with wide eyes, fearing the thought of what I know to be true.

"He's back." I say softly and all of them look at me like I'm crazy, but I can see they believe me.

Mary Margaret and Neal come a few minutes later from the diner with a blanket, which David uses to cover the woman, who was the Blue Fairy from the Fairy Tale world.

"What the hell happened?" I hear Regina call to us as she and Henry rush towards the fairy's covered body.

Seeing Henry I immediately take a step back, bumping into Neal, who puts an arm around me, thinking I'm upset from the dead woman.

"Pan's shadow killed her." David says as he stands up.

"Pan's shadow? I trapped the shadow on the sail." Regina insists.

"Yeah, well it got free." Emma says, grimacing.

"Hooke lets go back to the ship and get the candle." Neal says as he lets his arm off of me. "If it strikes again we need to be able to capture it."

Everyone nods as Hooke, Tink, and Neal head to the ship while the rest of us stay here.

"Pan's behind this I know it." Emma says and I look at Henry, who's staring innocently at the dead body.

"But he's in a box under the floor in Gold's shop." Regina tells her.

"Who else would be doing this?" Emma asks her.

"So Pan can still hurt me?" Henry asks as he looks at everyone but me.

"We don't know that." Regina assures him.

"But we have to assume he's still a threat." Mary Margaret says worriedly.

"And that he's after Henry." Emma says.

"Then what am I doing here?" Henry asks.

I slowly step backwards, but no one notices. If Henry's not Henry and he wants to hurt Henry I have to do something.

_"Find Felix." _Pan's voice tells me.

"Henry's right." David tells the group. "He's not safe out in the open."

"You'll protect me, right?" Henry asks Regina.

"Henry, yes of course." Regina tells him as she hugs Henry.

"Go." Emma says. "We'll take care of the shadow."

Regina and Henry nod and hurry away. I can't help but think Regina might never make it back.

"Regina wait." Emma calls out, stopping them.

"What?" Regina asks her as Henry keeps walking.

"Keep a close eye on him." Emma says.

Regina looks at her questioningly. "I already said I would."

"I know," Emma says hurriedly. "He just doesn't seem quite himself."

"Really?" Regina asks sarcastically. "You mean because he asked for me?"

"No! I didn't, I didn't mean that!" Emma whispers insistently.

If I'm going to find Felix, this is my chance while the four of them are distracted. I look at Mary Margaret, who's hugging David tightly.

Emma and Regina are still arguing so I take another few steps backwards. None of them notice me, so once I'm about twenty feet away I turn on my heel and run as fast as I can in these ballet flats to the Sheriff's station.

David told him there was plenty of cell space for Felix, so that's the only place I can think of where he would be.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Emma, Mary Margaret and David rush to Gold's shop, forgetting about Katherine.

"No I'm afraid we're closed, whichever crisis you're dealing with I'm done for the day."

"Rumple." Belle urges him to listen.

"Pandora's box." Emma says. "give it to me."

"And why would I do that?" Gold asks incredulously.

"We need to open it." Emma tells him.

"And let Pan escape, what are you crazy?"

"Somehow he's controlling his shadow from inside the box, Henry's life is in danger." Mary Margaret says.

"And you think letting Pan out will change that?" Gold asks.

"Yes. Because we can stop him." Emma says. "Finally, and forever."

"With all due respect Ms. Swan we barely apprehended stopping him the first time." Gold says to her. "if I've learned one thing, it's not to tempt fate."

"I know," Emma pushes. "we're not looking to apprehend him, wouldn't you rather be sure he's gone?"

"Well what do you have in mind?" Gold asks after hesitation.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

I rush inside the station, finding it empty except for Felix, who's sitting calmly in a cell. When I run up to his cell, he stands up.

"Ah, kitten." Felix says, eyeing me up and down. "Come to cheer me up while I'm wasting away in here?"

"What is Pan going to do to Henry?" I ask him angrily.

"Nothing." Felix says smoothly. "Pan's trapped in a box." He turns his back on me and sits down on the edge of the cot.

"I know the truth." I say as I grab the bars he was holding. "I know Pan is in Henry's body and Henry's in the box in Pan's body, speaking to me in my mind like Pan was, and right now Emma is headed with Gold to release Pan from Pandora's box so they can stop him once and for all."

Felix stands up quickly and grabs my arms through the bars, pulling me against the cell, uncomfortably close to him.

"Where are they?" Felix demands. I can feel his body shaking, from anger and fear, but because he's basically holding me I start to shake too.

"They went to Gold to get the box," I say. "I don't know where they're going from there but we have to hurry to get to the box before they destroy it."

Felix presses his face against the bars, his eyes piercing through my skin. "Why do you want to save Pan?"

"He's my family, believe it or not, and Henry's also trapped in his body. So I'll help you save Pan and you help me save Henry."

Felix lets go of me, and I have to catch my balance.

"So Pan is telling you the surprises he promised.

I walk over to the desk and look through the drawers for something to get Felix out of the cell. I am pissed beyond words that Pan is my freaking great grandfather. He played me like a shitty card, and I fell for it, really starting to believe he loved me.

"Why do you want my help, kitten?" Felix asks as he watches me.

I pull a loaded pistol out from the bottom drawer and aim it at the lock on the cell. "Because Henry said I need you."

Felix steps to the side and I fire the gun, blowing the cell lock to pieces. I drop the gun and kick it under the desk, not wanting anything more to do with it.

Felix pushes the door open and steps over to me, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"What are you doing?" I ask him as he pulls out a tiny bag.

He smirks and opens the bag with his fingers. "If you need me you'll need my tricks too."

I look at his face and he pulls out a small jewel.

"What's that?" I ask as he puts the bag back into his pocket.

"This will get us to wherever Pan is. They came with his shadow."

"Are you sure it will work?" I ask as Felix raises his arm.

"Of course it will." He says as he drops the jewel and pulls me closer to him. "Pan never fails."

I scream as we suddenly start falling, and cling to Felix with all the strength I have as I see flashes of colors and lights and all of a sudden, we fall through trees.

"Ah!" I scream as we both crash through branches and fall to the ground, thankfully landing on soft moss.

"Come on, kitten." Felix says as he pulls me up. "We don't have much time, look." He points to the tree line and I see Emma, Gold, Belle (as Tink informed me), Mary Margaret, and David.

"Then let's go." I say as I start walking towards them.

"Wait." Felix whispers as he grabs my arm, turning me around. "They won't trust you if you're with me, and if you try to get the box they'll kill us both. We have to steal it."

"I don't think that's going to work," I tell him. "We just need to convince them that—"

I look at Felix, who's stopped listening. I follow my gaze to match where he's looking and see Emma pointing her gun at a red fog that's slowly coming out of the box.

"Felix we have to go, now!" I say as I take his arm and we hurry towards the group.

We stop when we see Pan lying on the ground as Emma cocks her gun.

"Emma no!" I shout as I run to her.

"What are you doing?" Emma asks me, still pointing the gun at Pan.

"Emma, you have to listen, this isn't Pan. You can't kill him." I say as Pan stands up.

We look at him as he turns around and is startled by all of us. He turn to Emma and widens his eyes at the gun she's aiming at his heart.

"Mom?" Pan asks.

Oh, no, this isn't going to work. I look at Felix, who's scowling at David, who's taken a firm hold on the back on his cloak.

"What?" Emma asks, creasing her brows.

"What are you waiting for, shoot him." Gold says with disgust.

"No!" Pan and I say at the same time.

"Please!" He says. "I'm Henry."

Everyone but me and Felix look slightly shocked.

"Pan, he switched out bodies." Pan tells them.

"You expect me to believe that?" Emma asks him.

"Yes." I say as I walk over and stand in front of Pan and the gun Emma's holding.

"Katherine, get out of the way, don't listen to him this is one of his tricks." Gold says firmly.

"No, this is Henry. He's been talking to me the whole time he's been in Pan's body. This is your son, Emma." I tell her as her hand holding the gun begins to shake slightly.

"It's not a trick." Pan says behind me. "He did it right before Mr. Gold captured me in the box, I swear." He steps towards Emma.

"Don't come any closer." Emma says, putting her other hand out in front of her.

"Shoot him!" Gold shouts.

I grab Pan and stay in front of him and Emma.

"Maybe he's telling the truth maybe that's why I can't shake this feeling there's something wrong with Henry." Emma says as she looks at me.

"Maybe that's what he wants you to believe." Gold says. "If he steps over this line we're all dead."

I look down to where he's pointing with his cane and see a red line drawn across the road.

"He's right. If you're Henry prove it." Emma tells Pan. "Tell me something only Henry would know."

Pan stutters a little. "I got trapped in the mines!" He says as he steps out from behind me. "I tried blowing them up! I like hot cocoa with cinnamon!"

"This proves nothing." Gold hisses as Belle clings to his arm.

"He's right Emma!" Mary Margaret says. "Henry could have told Pan all of this in Neverland."

"He's Henry!" I say, pleading with these people. "You have to believe him! If you shoot him now you'll be killing your own son!"

"Pan might know facts," Emma says. "But life is made up of more than that. There are moments. He can't possibly know all of them. The first time you and I connected." Emma looks at Pan. "You remember that? Not met but connected."

Pan looks at her and smiles as he nods. "Yeah."

"Where was it." Emma asks.

"In my castle. Right after you and I came to Story Brooke."

"What did you tell me?"

"That I knew why you gave me up." Pan says softly.

"Why?" Emma asks.

"Because you wanted to give me my best chance."

I exhale slowly as Emma lowers the gun and puts it in her belt.

"Henry?" She asks as she walks towards him.

"Mom." He says as he hugs her tightly.

"It is Henry!" Emma says, sighing.

I see Gold looking pissed as well as worn out.

"Promise you're not going to instigate us when we step over the line." Emma asks him.

Emma picks up the box and steps over the red line, handing the box to Gold. David lets go of Felix as Pan or really Henry hugs both him and Mary Margaret.

I walk over to Felix. "Ok, they know he's Henry. Now how do we switch them back without hurting them?" I ask softly.

"Not sure." Felix answers. I look at him, concerned. "What do you mean you're not sure? You have magic portal jewels and you don't know how to switch two people back?"

Felix looks down at me but says nothing.

"I'm sorry I doubted you Henry." Gold says and I turn away from Felix. "And I'm sorry I put you in this box in the first place."

Henry/Pan chuckles. "It's ok. I would have done the same thing."

Emma pats him on the shoulder, "Come on."

They start walking while Gold and Belle follow.

David turns to Mary Margaret. "If Henry's way out here, where's Pan?"

"He's in Henry's body." I say. Felix glares at me.

"What?" David says.

"We have to find Henry and Regina, that's where we'll find Pan." I say.

"Then let's go." Mary Margaret says.

"You aren't backing out." I tell Felix.

"No, I'm not." Felix says as we follow Emma and Henry.

* * *

**About 30 minutes later…**

"Regina's still not answering her phone." Emma says as she dials again.

"When we find Pan remember that he's still in my body." Henry(in Pan's body) turns to Gold. "So if you have to throw a fireball or something, at least avoid the face?"

"I'll do my best." Gold says as we walk towards a crypt, with three people trying to get into it.

Neal, Hooke, and Tink turn around.

"Is it really you?" Neal asks.

"Dad!" Henry (in Pan's body) runs and hugs Neal. Hooke and Tink just stare in disbelief.

"Did you find the shadow?" David asks.

"Not yet." Tink says.

Hooke holds up the magic coconut. "No, but we'll be ready for it when we do."

"I think it's Pan we should be concerned about now." Gold says. "Why are we still up here?"

"It's locked up tight." Neal says as he points towards the crypt.

"Really." Gold waves a hand, trying to open it with magic, but nothing works.

"Told you." Neal says solemnly.

"Fair enough this is going to take some time." Gold says as he walks over to the doors.

Emma sighs and leans against a tree while David and Mary Margaret talk to her.

I look at Felix, who's oddly happy, but brush off the uneasy feeling he's giving me.

I step up to Gold, who's still trying to open the doors. He just places his palm out towards the lock. I put my hand out next to his, and he looks at me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm your family, right? So maybe I can do what you do." I say, still focusing on the lock as I hold my hand in front of it.

"It doesn't work like that dearie, you have to—"The lock flies off the door and they burst open.

I step back and look at what I just did. Gold looks at me with wide eyes, but sees the others staring questioningly.

"Shall we?" Gold says as he walks through the doors. I step aside as Emma, Mary Margaret, and David follow him into the crypt.

We all wait a few minutes before we hear Emma telling us it's clear to come down.

Henry (in Pan's body) rushes down the steps.

I step down off the stone steps and look to where Felix is…_I look around nervously_…_was_ standing.

_He's gone._

I almost jump into the tree when Neal touches my shoulder. "You all right? You're shaking."

"I'm fine, I just…" A tear rolls down my cheek.

"Hey, hey it's ok. Come here." Neal says as he pulls me to him and hugs me tightly. "You're going to be fine."

I push him away and he looks confused. "What?" He asks.

"Neal, Henry's my…" I close my eyes for a second so I can breathe better. "Henry's my bro—"

I don't get to finish because Hooke walks over to us.

"So what do you propose we do to Pan when we get him back in the right body?" Hooke asks Neal.

"I don't know," Neal answers as he looks at me with concern. Hooke looks at me too and sighs before squinting at me.

"Eh, love, you have something on your shoulder." He says as he reaches to brush something off.

I turn my head down and see a small white jewel start falling to the ground. I widen my eyes.

"NO!" I shout and I put out my hands towards the two men, causing them to fly backwards a few feet before hitting the ground.

I look at Neal and see him and Hooke struggle to get up before I fall through a portal.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Felix picks up Katherine's unconscious form from where the portal dropped her.

"What do you propose we do with her?" He asks Pan (in Henry's body).

"We keep her safe. She's still needed." Pan turn to Felix. "I told you before that she can save Neverland."

"How?" Felix asks as he looks at Katherine in his arms.

"With this." Pan answers, unrolling a scroll.

"A curse?"

"No Felix." Pan says. "The curse. The curse that tore everyone from the enchanted forest and dropped them here."

"You got me away from the crypt to tell me how everyone got to this town?" Felix asks, confused.

"I got you away from the crypt because this spell is going to get us everything we've always wanted." Pan says as he looks over Story Brooke. "Everyone will forget who they are. Time will stand still. And Felix, we will be in charge."

Felix smiles. "Over this whole place."

"Yes." Pan says. "And when we're done with it, it's going to be the New Neverland."

* * *

**All right, I have major surprises in store for this story but my updates are going to space out after the mid season finale of OUAT because I write them after each episode so I can follow the story besides my additions, but I hope you enjoyed this long chapter. Maybe a bit too long, but it just flows better than when I tried to chop it up. **

**I seriously can't stop thinking that Felix is a little shit. It's running through my mind constantly...but it's so true so I applaud the creator of that lovely thought. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V. **

Neal and Hooke are on the ground, dumbfounded by what just happened.

One second Katherine was here and then next she pushes them back with magic and falls into oblivion.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" Hooke grunts as he gets to a kneeling position.

Neal stands up and then helps Hooke all the way to his feet. "I don't know. She used magic."

"Well where did that magic take her?" Hooke asks with an annoyed expression.

"No," Neal says. "No she used magic to keep us from falling through what I think to be a portal. She didn't use it to create a portal."

He breathes heavily and runs his hands through his hair. Hooke sees his discomfort.

"Eh, mate. You ok?"

Neal sighs and shakes his head, lost in thought. "She was trying to tell me something. Something important. I don't know what it was but she was in tears about it."

Hooke chuckles a little, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe she's pregnant."

Neal glares at Hooke with disgust.

Hooke backs up a few steps. "Woah mate, just trying to raise your mood."

"I don't need a lighter mood I need to find Katherine." Neal tells him sharply.

Suddenly Tink and Belle run up to the two men.

"What happened?" Belle asks as she looks at them.

"That's what I want to know." Hooke says frustratingly as eyes Neal.

"She fell through some portal that opened up underneath her and pushed us back before we could fall through it too." Neal tells the two women.

"Oh dear…" Tink says softly, looking at the ground.

"What?" Hooke asks. "What do you know?"

"Was there a white jewel?" Tink asks defeatedly.

"…yes…" Neal says, eyeing Tink with suspicion.

Hooke and Belle turn to Tink, who's began fumbling with her hands, looking slightly distressed.

"This could be a tiny issue…" Tink says as she looks at Neal.

"What do you mean?" Belle asks her, confused.

"The jewels came with Pan's shadow and when one falls it smashes, opening a portal that will take you to wherever Pan is." Tink bites her lip. "Or wherever he wants you to be."

"So you're saying Katherine's with Pan? In Henry's body, but she's with him?" Neal asks Tink.

She nods her head.

"Wha…what will he do to her?" Belle says.

"Nothing." Hooke says firmly. Belle and Tink look at him questioningly. "He commanded his shadow not to touch her, he saved her from drowning; Pan won't hurt the girl."

Neal sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Ok." He says. "But then why would he take her?"

* * *

"You never cease to amaze me, Peter." Felix says as Pan (in Henry's body) leads him through the forest.

"Outwitting the evil queen in less than a day?" Felix sighs. "It's impressive." He sets down Katherine, who's still unconscious, on the couple of steps leading to the well.

"She loves the boy." Pan says. "That makes her weak."

Felix smiles. "You love the girl, but you're not weak."

Peter gives a warning look to Felix, who puts his hands up in defense with a smirk.

Pan sighs as he looks at the well. "This is it. This is where we'll cast it." He holds his hand out to Felix. "My ingredients."

Felix hands him the bag and looks down at Katherine. "When it's done, will they all be dead?"

Pan smiles darkly. "Worse. They'll be slaves to this new land we're making. With no idea who they once were. Death is final, Felix. Their suffering will be eternal."

Pan drops a jar into the well before picking up another one.

"Here." Pan gives it to Felix.

"What do you want me to do with it?" Felix asks him as he opens the lid.

Pan just continues dropping his other vials and jars into the well. "Give it to Katherine."

Felix creases his brows before kneeling next to her. "What will it do?"

Pan rolls his eyes at Felix's concerned face. "Felix, my friend. Don't worry it will just wake her up."

Felix nods and pours the contents from the vial into Katherine's mouth. He stands up and moves next to Pan, who's watching her now.

After a moment Katherine's eyes flutter open, and Pan lets out a small breath he was holding.

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

I prop myself to my elbows and blink several times before sitting up entirely.

I don't even notice Pan and Felix as I use one knee to push myself up. As soon as I stand up though a wave of dizziness hits me and I lean my hand against the edge of the well.

"Damn it." I say softly.

"Normally the first thing I do when I wake up is say good morning, but 'damn it' works too." Henry says and I whip my head up and see Henry and Felix staring at me.

Oh wait, Henry's still not Henry, so I'm looking at Pan.

I look to Felix, who's smiling at me with contempt. "Felix, you fucking bastard! You put a portal jewel in my hair!" I shout at him.

He just smirks. "Sorry, Pan's orders."

I take a step towards Felix to slap him but as soon as my hand leaves the well I can't support myself and I end up collapsing on the stone steps in front of the two boys.

Felix looks to Pan for instructions but Pan (in Henry's body) kneels down next to me.

"Not so feisty when we're starving are we?" He says in Henry's voice but with a mocking tone.

"Get away from me." I mutter as I grab the edge of the well and try to pull myself up.

However, my arms are like jelly, so I just hang onto the wall in a half standing, half sitting position.

Pan sighs as he stands up. "Felix, I think Katherine would appreciate a little help, don't you?"

I see Felix smirk again and step toward me. I push against the ground with my ballet flats to help me stand, but before I can do anything Felix grabs my arm and puts it around his neck before helping me stand up.

Another wave of dizziness comes over me and I close my eyes for a moment while I lean on Felix for support.

"What do you want?" I say in a half whisper as I open my eyes and look at Pan.

"Oh me?" He says, smiling Henry's innocent smile. "I want your magic."

"Magic? What the hell made you think I did magic?" I feel like I'll faint any moment.

"You don't get it, do you?" Pan asks me sarcastically but with a slight hint of anger in his voice.

"Get what?" I answer as I blink several times, trying to focus on his face, which is getting slightly blurry.

"You're Rumplestilskin granddaughter." Pan says. "His magic runs in your veins. Whatever he can do, you can do…to a point."

"Yeah and _you're_ my freaking great grandfather so can I use some of your magic to push a boulder on you?" I say to him.

Pan just laughs, only coming from Henry's body, it sounds twisted and creepy. "You're not my great granddaughter." He tells me as he steps forward. "You think I would be that stupid to have a child by blood? I'm not foolish."

I just look at him, my mouth slightly agape.

"I needed money for alcohol, so I broke into a couple's house one night." Pan says. "They woke up and I ended up killing them before stealing what they had." Pan looks at the scarf around his neck with disgust before shrugging his shoulders. "Tragic, really. Poor poor Rumple, orphaned as a baby."

I look up at Felix, who seems just as clueless as I am.

"So you took in a child?" Felix asks suspiciously.

"Yes Felix, I did. In a moment of weakness I took the baby instead of leaving him to die. I had a heart for the child, which ended up being the biggest mistake I could have made."

"Does he know?" I ask softly, remembering how Rumple knows I'm Neal's daughter.

"Not yet." Pan answers. "But it might be easier for him to believe his father is still alive when he dies."

I stumble but Felix has a firm hold around me. "What do you mean 'dies'?" I ask Pan, already knowing that he will probably kill everyone in Story Brooke without a second thought.

"Well," Pan begins before s wicked smile comes across his face. "You need to replace him."

"She'll become the Dark One." Felix says softly, more to himself than me and Pan.

My head starts to spin.

_I'm not Peter's great granddaughter. I'm not his family. I'm not related to him in any way. And he knew all along. That means…that means maybe he really did love me. _

_But why do I love someone so evil? What am I supposed to do? _

I close my eyes, trying to think straight.

_"Katherine!"_ Peter's voice shouts in my head. My eyes snap open and I practically drag Felix to the ground in surprise.

"Would you stop being so much trouble, kitten?" Felix grunts as he regains his footing and struggles to hold me up.

I don't answer Henry though, I'm think I'm going into shock, or hyperventilating, or having a panic attack, something's happening to me though.

Felix must notice because he looks at me and suddenly slaps my face.

I gasp in surprise before being knocked to the ground. I look up to see Henry, no wait, Pan gripping Felix by the throat.

"Don't you dare touch her like that again." Pan says angrily at Felix, who seems surprised the body of an eleven year old could have so much strength.

Pan lets go of Felix, who has to take a moment to regain his breath.

I just stare in shock and awe as Pan walks up to me.

He holds out his hand and looks at me with piercing eyes. "Come on, Katherine. It's time for you to save Neverland."

* * *

"Take who?" Emma asks as she, Mary Margaret, David, Gold, Regina, and Henry (in Pan's body) come out of the crypt.

"Katherine. She fell through one of Peter's portals." Hooke tells the group.

"And how would a portal show up?" Regina asks as she places her hands on her hips.

"There are these tiny white jewels that sort of cause portals." Tink says quickly.

"How would she get one?" Mary Margaret questions Tink.

There's a moment of silence and nobody speaks, no one knows the answer.

"Wait a minute." David says, looking around. "Where's Felix?"

Everyone looks around. "Damn it." Neal sighs. "He must have had the jewels."

"Are the jewels what caused the magic?" Belle asks Neal.

"What magic?" Gold says as he steps toward Neal.

"She put her hands out and we flew backwards, like she hit us with something." Hooke answers.

Regina raises her eyebrows and looks at Neal. "She can do magic?"

"Hey, I didn't know." He says defensively.

"Guys, calm down." Emma says. "If Katherine's with Pan then we just have to find her in order to get to him."

Henry (in Pan's body) looks around, thinking to himself. He calls Katherine's name in his mind.

"…" nothing. She doesn't answer.

"Wait, Regina, why wasn't Pan down in the crypt with you?" Mary Margaret asks her, snapping Henry out of his thoughts.

Regina sighs, "He used a vial on me and took the curse."

"Another curse?" Mary Margaret says doubtfully. "It's happening again?"

"Gold, this curse, is it going to work like the last one?" Emma asks him.

"The last one was created to serve as the queen's wishes." Gold says. "This will be done per Pan's desire. I would count on something hellish."

"The curse was built to be unstoppable. There's nothing that can be done." Regina announces.

Gold thinks, momentarily. "Well it is possible to stop it."

"What?" Regina asks.

Gold nods. "By using the scroll itself. It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. That's you, Regina."

She looks taken aback, but recomposes herself. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to destroy the scroll." Gold answers. "Both your curse and his will be ended but know this, there will be a price…A steep one."

"What do you suggest?" Regina asks Gold.

He looks down, then back toward the group. "Instead of going to him, bring him to us. With the spell. One that will return Pan and Henry to their own bodies."

"But once I'm back in my own body, I'll have the scroll." Henry says. "I can bring it to you guys."

"Exactly, Henry." Gold says.

Regina shakes her head at him. "Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell."

Gold looks slightly offended. "Well given the proper tool, I could be."

"The Black Fairy's wand." Tink speaks up. "One of the most powerful fairies that ever existed. Well versed in dark magic, the Blue Fairy exiled her but before she did, she took her wand."

"I assume our dearly departed Mother Superior had it hidden at her residence." Gold says.

"What are we waiting for, let's hit the convent." David says as he looks at the others.

"Can I come?" Tink asks. "I should pay my respects to Blue after all."

"Then it's settled." Gold confirms. "The rest of us shall head back to my shop and prepare Henry for the spell."

Everyone nods and starts to go, but none of them notice Pan's shadow fly away.

* * *

"What Regina did is child's play compared to what I have in mind." Pan says as he drops another vial into the well.

Felix is holding me by my arm to hold me up, but is stiff as a rock after Pan had grabbed him. However, I can practically feel him smile when he hears Pan.

"I knew you'd win." He says, and his grip on me softens. "Peter Pan never fails."

Pan smiles Henry's innocent little smile and drops a jar with purple liquid into the well.

I look at the now bubbling concoction at the bottom of the well. Whatever he's doing it won't be good.

"Are we missing something?" Felix asks, noticing that Pan's stopped putting things in the well.

"Yes." Pan says as he looks at Felix.

"What is it?" I ask Pan, not liking the darkness that's come over his eyes.

"The heart of the thing I love most." Pan says grimly and he turns his gaze to me.

I widen my eyes. "Peter?"

Felix puts the pieces together too. "But she has to become the Dark One for the spell to work. You can't take her heart." Felix pushes me behind him. "You're Peter Pan, you can find another way."

"Love can mean many things, Felix." Peter tells him, seeing that Felix thinks he wants my heart. "It doesn't just come from romance, or family. It also comes with loyalty, friendship."

_Oh God, he means Felix._

I grab Felix's shoulder, but he's listening to Pan.

"Only one person has always believed in Pan." Pan says.

I widen my eyes and tug on Felix's shoulder. "Felix, run." I whisper, still watching Peter.

"It's me." Felix realizes, and I can feel him start to shake a little.

"Don't be afraid." Pan says simply. "Be flattered." And he reaches for Felix.

"No…no…NO!" Felix shouts as I watch scream horror as Pan thrusts his hand inside Felix and rips out his heart.

"NO!" I scream when I see the glowing heart in Pan's hand.

"Ah!" Felix grimaces in pain as he looks at Pan, who starts to squeeze Felix's heart.

"Peter stop!" I shout as I catch Felix when he falls down.

Because of his weight it causes me to fall to my knees, and I look at Felix's motionless face as he lays across my lap.

I stare at Peter, who brushes the dust of what _was _his best friend's heart.

"Felix?" I say as I start to cry. I shake his shoulders but he doesn't move. "Oh God, Felix!" I start to sob. "Felix wake up!"

However, he doesn't wake up. He just lays in my arms…dead.

I clench my jaw and look up at Peter, who's smiling at the green cloud of smoke that's rising from the well.

"How could you kill him?" I shout over the lighting and noise from the cloud. "He loved you. He was there for you! Now you don't have anyone!"

Pan looks at me, emotionless, and cocks his head to the side. "I have you."

I open my mouth, dumfounded.

_He just ripped the heart out of Felix. He just cast a spell that will kill most of the town. And yet he expects me to stand by his side and support him while he murders innocent people by the flick of his hand? _

I look at Pan. I look past Henry's body and into Pan's eyes.

_…why am I in love with a monster?_

* * *

**I nearly cried when Felix died in the show. I swear thought he was going to end up turning against Pan in the end or something dramatic but stupid Henry/Pan killed him. It reminded me in that old Disney movie, ****_The Road to El Derado_**** when the bad guy pushes his loyal friend into the boiling pot of spell lava. It scared the shit out of me as a kid but when I saw Felix die that's all I could think about. **

**Anyway, thank you for the nice reviews! I read one and was like, "Oh em geeesh it's like they read my writing because I already planned that!" You guys make me smile. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Mary Margaret looks at the crystal unicorn hanging in Gold's shop.

"This hung above your crib." She says to Emma, who's walked over.

Emma looks a little startled by what she says.

"Uh, well it was supposed to hang over your crib." Mary Margaret says sadly. The years she missed from Emma's childhood struck her heart like a dagger each time she thought about the memories she had missed. Emma was all grown up now and Mary Margaret never got to see her own child grow up.

"I like the unicorns." Emma tells her softly.

"Giving you up when the curse hit was the hardest thing I had to do."

Emma looks at the unicorns. "I know."

"Every time I look at you I wonder what would have happened if I didn't have too."

"I do the same thing with Henry." Emma says.

Mary Margaret tilts her head. "You were doing your best you giving him…"

"His best chance." Emma interrupts. She walks over to a table and leans against it. "But yeah, things would have been very different if I had kept him. We would have had a life together…a normal one. Back in Boston, or someplace else." She sees Henry (in Pan's body) walk in with Belle and Regina. "But I guess all that wasn't meant to be."

Emma walks over to him. "You doing okay, kid?"

"Yeah," Henry says. "I'm just…ready to be me again."

He wasn't ok, actually. Katherine and him had talked, theoretically thinking, but she was in danger as far as he could tell.

His sister, step sister, well sister anyway was with the worst fairy tale character that he had given his own heart too out of stupidity.

Henry thought over the conversation they had had earlier.

_"Oh my gosh, Henry, oh my gosh." Katherine had told him in his mind. _

_"Katherine!" He said, "Are you ok? Where are you!?"_

_"He killed Felix." Katherine blurted out and Henry could hear her voice cracking from her crying. _

_"Katherine, don't worry, he won't kill you, remember?" Henry assured her. _

_"No, no I know, it's worse, Henry…"_

_"What? What did he do to you?" _

_"Nothing…yet…he's just…he's going to make me kill people, Henry. I don't know when but I know he will and I can't do that!" _

_"Katherine you can fight him, you're strong! I mean I don't really know you yet but from what everyone is telling me you've been strong through all of this." _

_"No, Henry, Peter knows everything." _

_Henry was confused by this. "What do you mean?" _

_"Like, he knows all of my weaknesses and all of my pain and everything that's ever hurt me. He uses it against me…"_

_"Don't worry. Mr. Gold is switching our bodies, so I'll find you soon, just hang on till then, ok?"_

_"…" _

_He hadn't heard from her since they left the woods._

"Not much longer now, Henry." Gold says as he reads from a book. "Not much longer. Once we have the wand, all will be as it should."

Suddenly David, Neal, Hooke, and Tink come into the shop.

"She's back." David says when they walk inside. "The Blue Fairy. She gave us the wand."

"Do we need anything else?" Emma asks Gold.

"Only one more item." He says as he opens up a cabinet and pulls something out.

"What is that?" Mary Margaret asks, peering at the object in his hand.

"This is one of the useful things I managed to peel from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland." Gold answers. "It renders anyone with magic, utterly powerless."

"I haven't forgotten about all that by the way." Regina says as she looks at Hooke.

"May I see your wrist, Henry." Gold says as he kneels by his grandson, placing the bracelet on him. "I want to make sure that when my dear old dad wakes, that he's weakened. This will block his powers."

"So what happens now?" Henry (in Pan's body) asks him.

"I ignite the spell, you fall into a deep sleep, and when you wake, you're back in your own body." Gold tells Henry.

"And you hang on to that scroll." Regina tells him. "And you come find us as soon as you can."

Henry shakes his head. "I gave my heart to Pan. Thought I was being a hero." He looks at Emma. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not the one that needs to be sorry." David cuts in. "Pan does."

Gold looks at the black wand. "It's time."

Henry lies down on the bench.

"Keep your eye on the wand." Gold says.

He waves it slowly over Henry's face, concentrating hard. Henry's eyelids close as he starts to drift off.

Gold touches the wand to his forehead and a burst of energy shocks through Henry's body. He starts to shake and jerk violently.

"What's happening?" Emma asks worriedly.

Gold steps back and watches Henry, or Pan's body, continue to shake. "Henry's spirit is leaving Pan's body."

They watch him when he suddenly becomes still.

"It worked." Regina says, smiling at Gold.

"Let's go find our son." Emma says as he looks one more time at Pan before heading out the door.

The others follow in pursuit, but Belle turns back to Gold before leaving. "You're not coming?"

"No, no I think not." He stares at Pan's body. "My father and I have some…unfinished family business."

Belle nods and she and Neal walk out of Gold's shop.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

"He's dead, Katherine." Pan tells her as he watches her drag Felix's body through the forest. She has her arms under his so she has to walk backwards, forced to look at Pan in Henry's body.

"Just leave me alone." She grunts.

"Why leave you alone?" Pan asks cockily. "You've been alone for so long, I thought for sure you'd like my company, of all people."

Katherine just keep walking backwards, dragging Felix, trying to shut out Pan's voice.

"You know, Katherine, you do need me. You always will."

Now she stops and lays Felix's head on the ground before walking over to Peter and slapping him with so much force he actually flies to the side and hits a tree.

"Don't you dare tell me I need your stupid ass self in my life after you murdered your best friend in front of me! I will not stay by your side while you kill innocent people like it's no big fucking deal."

Pan pulls himself up and brushes off Henry's coat, looking at Katherine with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She used magic and doesn't even realize how powerful she's becoming. Pan smiles darkly as he steps towards her.

Katherine puts one hand on her head and one out towards Peter. "No! Just, don't come near me, I don't want to be near you right now."

However, Peter walks right up to Katherine and grips both of her wrists, harshly; using all of the strength he can muster out of Henry's pathetic preteen body.

"Peter stop." Katherine says, avoiding his gaze. She tries to tug her arms away from his hands but that iron grip Peter has transferred when he switched bodies with Henry.

"You're weak, Katherine, but I can make you strong." Peter says maliciously.

"Peter, don't you dare pull that shit on me in Henry's body."

Peter lets go and takes a step back, shifting his gaze towards Felix's dead body behind Katherine. He gestures towards his deceased friend.

"Would you rather me pull the shit about why you're dragging Felix through the woods?" Peter smirks.

Katherine sighs and clenches her jaw shut, turning on her heel and walks to Felix. She reaches under his shoulders and starts dragging him towards town like before.

Peter observes her as she backs away. He admires Katherine for her determination even if it's for a lost cause.

She's struggling to pull Felix and from the constant blinking of her eyes Peter can tell she's not going to last much longer physically.

"You don't have the strength to carry him all the way to town, you haven't eaten for nearly a week." Peter says as he walks towards Katherine. "Let me help you." He says softly.

"No, Peter, I don't want your help…" Katherine mutters as she blinks again, trying to focus on the ground.

_"Henry told me Gold was switching their bodies, so why hasn't it happened yet?" _She thinks as she looks at Peter.

Peter steps forward and reaches out when suddenly he falls to the ground, unconscious.

Katherine gasps, knowing now Peter's in his own body he'll hurt Gold.

She quickens her steps as she continues to drag Felix, trying to hurry to get to Gold before anything happens.

* * *

"Mate, wait, hold on." Hooke says as he catches Neal with his Hooke.

"What?" Neal asks as he turns around and gingerly pushes the hook off his jacket.

Hooke looks at the group, who's ahead of them now and sighs. "What will come of the girl?"

"What?" Neal furrows his eyebrows.

"I mean what if Pan's still got his bloody magic inside her head and she ends up killing us all with her own magic?"

Neal rolls his eyes and starts to turn around but Hooke jumps in front of him. "Hey, mate, I know you care for her like you do about Henry, but you saw, you felt, what she did to us back at the crypt. Now Pan could have taught her something new that will wipe us out."

Neal turns and practically shouts at Hooke. "She's not going to wipe us out! She wouldn't hurt us! Get that through your thick skull!"

Hooke puts up his hand and hook, "Ok, easy mate. Sorry. I'm cautious, that's all."

Neal rolls his eyes again. "Yeah, well be cautious around Pan, not Katherine."

"Just curious…Neal…why so protective over her?" Hooke asks him.

Neal sighs, becoming frustrated with Hooke, who keeps on going. "You treat her as if she were a gem, like your own daughter!"

When Hooke says daughter Neal snaps his head up in attention and glares at Hooke. Memories of the past flood his brain and for a moment he starts to think something could ha—

"Hooke! Neal! You coming?" Emma shouts to the men from far away.

Neal pushes the thought he had to the back of his mind and he and Hooke jog to catch up with the group and they continue to look for the two kids.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V. **

"Did I do that?" Henry asks quietly.

"No, no Henry, Peter did." I say softly. "I couldn't leave his body out here alone, Hooke or Neal will know what to do with him."

_Before I got out of the woods Henry came running up to me. He helped me drag Felix's body into the town, which seemed deserted, and said the clock tower would be the best place to go for now. _

Right now I'm sitting on the floor, on my knees, and Henry's on a bench. Felix's body is in front of me, slowly becoming paler.

I shake my head as I close my eyes.

_Peter killed his best friend. His last loyal person in his life, but then he said he had me…does he?_

I reach out a hand and hold his cold one. Felix helped me, and I could tell that he cared about me. Not in a romantic way, but in a brotherly sort of manner.

After all, when he thought Peter wanted _my_ heart he pushed me behind, him, protecting me.

I wipe away a tear that's slipped down my cheek with my other hand.

"I thought I could have saved him." I say to myself more than Henry. "I thought I could help him be good after all this was over, help him learn to fight for the good in life and not for the evil…"

I don't bother wiping away the other tears. "He cared for Peter with an undeniable love and loyalty. He would have done anything, and I know he would have died for Peter. He just didn't expect Peter to be the one to kill him."

Henry just stares silently me.

"I love him." I say. "I love Peter. I wanted to deny it, but it's true. He's a monster, but…somehow…I feel like if I can't save Felix, I can save Peter."

I don't say anything else after that, just hold Felix's lifeless hand and think.

"I'm sorry." Henry says suddenly.

"Henry, I told you, Peter did thi—"

"No." Henry interrupts me.

I look at him questioningly. "What do you mean, then?"

"I lied to you." He tells me softly.

I just look at him with a tear stained face.

_What could he have lied to me about? We've hardly spoken since we met and the most time I've spent around him he's been Peter, so what could he have said?_

Henry looks me in the eye. "I told you Peter's emotions weren't love, but lust and evil…"

"Yes…" I say as my brows knit together.

"I lied." Henry says. "He loves you."

I catch my breath. "Henry…" I begin.

"The tower?!" We head Emma's voice say outside of the tower. I look to Henry and he rushes to the window.

"They're here!" He exclaims and rushes outside.

Henry bursts through the clock tower doors and runs to his family. "It's me! It's me! It worked!"

Emma and Regina hug him.

"Mom! Mom I just saw you guys." Henry says as they let go.

"But we didn't see _you_." Regina reminds him.

Henry nods and hands Emma the scroll.

Neal touches Henry lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, where's Katherine, Henry?"

Henry looks down and then to the clock tower. "She's inside…"

Neal sees the sadness on Henry's face and widens his eyes. "What happened?"

"No, she's ok dad…I think…" Henry says quietly. "Just…"

Neal pats Henry on the shoulder before hugging him. "Ok, it's ok. I've got to see her." He lets go of Henry and rushes inside the clock tower.

"He's got it." Emma sighs in relief and looks to Regina. "It's up to you now."

Regina takes the scroll right as Neal goes inside.

"Katherine!?" Neal shouts as he opens the doors and comes inside.

I look up in surprise and see him coming towards me. He's running and looks relieved to see me.

However, Neal stops a few feet from me when he sees Felix. "Oh no…"

I look back to Felix and grit my teeth. It hurts me to see him dead, after I had so much hope in his life.

"He ripped his heart out, Neal." I say though my voice cracks from crying.

Neal comes around Felix's body and kneels beside me on the ground.

"I couldn't leave him!" I say through my tears.

"Hey, look at me." Neal says softly as he places a hand on my shoulder.

I bite my lip as I close my eyes and shake my head. "I tried to stop him! I tried to tell Felix!"

"Katherine." Neal presses as he starts to pull me towards him.

I shake my head as I start to cry again. "No…" I whisper. "No…I tried to save him."

Neal pulls me into his arms, causing me to let go of Felix's hand. I cry into his shoulder as he hugs me.

"Shhhh," He says as he strokes my hair. "It'll be ok."

When I hear that it makes me cry harder. I start sobbing as he pulls me tighter to him and hugs me.

_This can't keep going on. He has to know. _

I push away from Neal and scoot backwards.

He looks at me questioningly. "Katherine?"

"Neal." I say as I wipe my face with a shaky hand. "I have to tell you something."

"What?" Neal asks me with that same concern in his eyes he had whenever I was in trouble.

_What if he doesn't believe me? No, he will, I know he will…but what happens when he knows? Oh, God just help me through this! _

"You slept with a woman, years ago…had a one night stand." I sniff and take in a breath.

Neal looks at me and opens his mouth slightly.

"I know you gave up, but you actually found me."

He widens his eyes. "Oh my gosh…"

"That's why I can do magic." I blurt out as my heartbeat quickens. "Gold's magic runs in my veins. He knows, but he didn't tell you."

Neal runs a hand through his hair. That thought he had earlier that Katherine was his lost daughter was actually true!

"Katherine, I...I looked for you, I promise, I just coul—"

"I know." I say as I smile a little, seeing that he believes me. "Peter told me everything."

When he hears Peter's name Neal stands up and walks to me, pulling me up as well.

"Katherine I won't let him hurt you, ever. I know I've already hurt you by giving up on you, but I'm here now. I promise." He hugs me and I can feel his tears on my shoulder.

I smile into his shoulder, relieved that he knows the truth now.

However, my smile disappears when I feel another wave of dizziness wash over me.

My knees give out and I slip downwards, but Neal catches me.

"Woah, Katherine?" Neal says as he pulls me up. "Katherine?" He puts a hand under my chin and looks at me. "Are you ok?"

I try to focus on his face, but it's getting blurry like Henry's did at the well.

"Neal…" I start to say before I run out of breath.

He puts my arm around my neck like Felix did and leads me towards the doors. "Come on, hold on it'll be ok. Just hold on."

I look back at Felix's body and hear the doors open. My body feels like a dead weight and I feel my head slip down.

"Neal, Regina's unconscious." I manage to look up and see Hooke standing in the doorway.

"What happened to her?" He points at me with his hook when he sees me leaning on Neal. Hooke then shifts his gaze behind us and sees the body, tightening his jaw.

"All right, come on love." Hooke tells me as he puts my other arm around his neck and he and Neal help me outside.

* * *

Pan's eyes open and he sees a ceiling above him.

"Hello, papa." Gold says.

"Thought you would have killed me in my sleep, lady?" Pan says as he sits up. "I guess you changed your—" He looks at the bracelet on his arm and sighs angrily, looking up at Gold. "Oh wait, I see. You've taken away my magic. That's why it's so easy for you to strut around and pose, now isn't it?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Gold says simply as Pan creases his eyebrows. "I wanted you to see me, and think about what you've done."

"Of course." Pan smiles. "To look at my son here at the end and to see him, and think about what might have been. Is that what you want? Because I do. I remember looking at you, the littlest babe, helpless in all mind. Those big, big eyes, full of tears. Pulling at me, pulling away my name, my money, my time." Pan's face takes a darker look to it. "Pulling away at anything making my life something better for myself." He points towards Gold. "This pink, naked, squirming little larvae, that wanted to eat my dreams alive and never stop, what are you now?

Gold stares down at Pan.

"What at you now?" Pan asks. "A couple hundred? Can't I be free of you?"

"Oh you will be." Gold says harshly as he picks up a sword from the table. "In death."

"Then one, last lesson, 'son'." Pan says as he tilts his head. "Never make a cage you can't get out of."

He rips off the leather bracelet. Gold steps back, shocked.

"I made this cuff you know?" Pan tells him. "Doesn't work on me…but on you?"

Gold looks down to see the leather cuff on his own arm. He looks fearfully at Pan.

"Damn boy." Pan says and extend his arm forward, causing Gold to fly against the shelf behind him. "Let's see how you do without magic." Pan says.

Gold reaches for the sword but Pan kicks him away.

"I'm come too far for this." Gold says, panicking. "For them."

"For your son?" Peter shouts. "No," he lowers his voice to a whisper as he shakes his head. "You're too late. Soon that fine green smoke will fill their lungs, and fog their brains. Not like the rest of this town I'm not going to take their memories, nah, because of their special meaning to you…I'm going to take their lives."

Gold shakes his head, "No. What about Katherine? Because she's your great granddaughter you're going to kill her now?"

Pan only laughs. "Oh no, she's not my relative, Rumple. Just like you're not my son."

Gold widens his eyes. "What do you mean?" He says as he struggles to sit up.

Pan places his boot on God's chest, slamming him back onto the ground. "I killed your weak little parents, and took you in when I was a weak man."

Gold just looks at Pan in shock and fear.

"I wouldn't make the mistake of having children like you. Don't you see where it's gotten you? I'm going to kill them now, and there's not a thing you can do to stop me."

Gold is breathing heavily. "I'm still your son, blood related or not."

"Ha, you claim me as your father but I'll never claim you as my son. Do you know why?" Pan asks him. "Because you're nothing. You're not worthy of being called my son. Because without magic, you are right back to where you started. The village coward."

He takes his boots off of Gold and turns around, and walks out of the shop.

* * *

**Ok first off I had a thought: Whenever people who hate Peter Pan mention him, they say Pan, and Katherine loves him, so she calls him Peter. I feel like being called Peter is a personal way and Pan is a distant and even hatred way of calling him. **

**Yeah, midnight thoughts of mine. **

**But I'm excited for this chapter and I literally cannot handle the thought of putting the story on hold until March when OUAT comes out again! ARGH! I'm frustrated...**

**Leave me some reviews! I love reading your thoughts!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

"Regina!" Emma says as she shakes Regina's unconscious form.

Henry sees Hooke and Neal practically drag me out from the tower and he rushes over to us.

"What happened? Is she ok?"

I mutter something unrecognizable and Neal sighs at Henry. "She's…"

Henry nods his head. "She told you, didn't she?"

"You knew?" Neal asks him.

"Knew what?" Hooke asks as he looks down at me as I lean my head on his shoulder.

"Katherine's my daughter." Neal tells him.

"Oh, mate, by Emma?"

"No, she's my daughter and Henry's step sister."

I don't even have to look at Hooke to tell he's relieved.

"Regina!" Emma shouts loudly and I open my eyes, I didn't realize I closed them, to see Regina wake with a start.

"Here, can you?" I feel Neal slip out from under my left arm as Hooke wraps his arm around my waist to keep me propped up, and I watch Neal rush over to help Regina stand up.

My knees give out again but Hooke keeps me standing. Thank God he's strong or I would have knocked him over in the few seconds I've been leaning against him.

"Emma." I hear Regina say.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Emma asks her.

It's then when I realize Peter's alone with Gold. I gasp and suddenly have a new burst of strength surge through me.

"Love, you okay?" Hooke asks me. But before he finishes I snake out from his grasp and take off running past Neal, Belle, and all of them.

"Katherine!" I hear Neal shout my name but I keep running towards Gold's shop.

After a few minutes I burst through the doors and run into the back, only to find a distraught Gold holding a sword dangerously close to his arm.

He doesn't notice me at first until my ballet flats cause a floorboard to creak and he whips around, pointing his sword at me with wild eyes.

"Woah!" I say as I put my hands up in defense.

"RUN!" Gold shouts and I see his eyes look at something, _someone_, behind me.

Before I can turn around I feel Peter's hands around my shoulders before he drags me out of the room with Gold and I see the door slam shut from Peter's magic.

"Peter!" I shout as I struggle to get free of his grasp but he clamps one hand over my mouth and drags me outside into the alley before letting me go.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asks me angrily.

Peter looks very distraught, but also very pleased at some unknown thing.

"What the hell am I doing?" I ask him, copying his anger. "What the hell are you doing?"

Peter's suddenly right in front of me and I gasp in surprise. His forehead is almost touching mine, and he's staring in my eyes with his stormy sea ones.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Peter asks me, pausing between each word.

I close my eyes and notice that I'm enjoying Peter being this close to me.

_Snap out of it and answer him._

"I was going to save Gold." I say quietly as I take a step back.

He ponders this momentarily before narrowing his eyes.

"How can you save him when you can't even save yourself?" Peter says, barely above a whisper.

_That bastard! How could he say something so…_

_He's right…I can't even stop myself from hurting, how could I save Gold from Peter if he tried to kill him? Peter knows my weaknesses and how to use them to hurt me more..._

I look down at the cobblestone for a moment before realizing what Peter's trying to do.

"No!" I shout and push Peter away from me, causing him to fly backwards. He can fly though so Peter catches himself in midair before looking at me furiously.

He starts to walk towards me but I put out my hands and he stops, as if he's hit an invisible wall.

Peter looks at the air in front of him before chuckling darkly.

"I see you've learned some magic."

I suddenly realize what I just did and drop my hands, only to see them start shaking.

"No, Peter. You aren't going to play with my mind again!" I shout at him.

"Why not?" he says as he tilts his head to the side. "I'm the only one in your empty mind. Before you met me your mind was a dark and lonely place. And if I recall, you found it peaceful…well to a point. It was peaceful until you woke up from your dark wonderland."

"Not funny. And don't you dare try to tell me Wonderland's real, Peter."

"Oh but it is. Only your wonderland is a bit different from the rest. Its more li—"

"Peter, shut up." I snap at him, cutting off his words.

He closes his mouth and stares at me with piercing eyes.

_Block him out. Just use magic to get him away from you. _

_But then he'll go and hurt the others. _

_"Or I could hurt you." _Peter's voice says in my mind and it shocks me so much that I trip backwards and fall on my butt.

"Why are you still in my head?!" I shout at him as I crawl backwards on my elbows.

Peter just walks towards me and kneels down in front of me.

I start to back up but he grabs both of my ankles and pulls me towards him, causing me to slide on the cobblestones.

"You want to hurt me with your magic?" Peter whispers harshly to me, still holding my ankles. "What if I hurt you first?"

I widen my eyes and raise my hands to cover myself from Peter but he grabs my wrists and I hear a 'pop' before he yanks me up.

A searing pain shoots up both of my arms and I look to see my wrists start turning a sickeningly bluish purple as they start to swell.

"You broke my wrists!" I gasp as the pain becomes more intense.

Peter tilts my chin up so I'm looking at him. "Heal yourself."

"What?" I say, going slightly into shock.

He grabs both of my wrists, causing me to cry out, and holds them up in front of my eyes.

"Focus, Katherine." Peter tells me. "You can heal yourself."

I look from Peter's eyes to his hands gripping my broken wrists, and close my eyes before taking a deep breath.

_Mend yourself. You're strong. You can do this. _

I keep my eyes closed and inhale slowly; focusing everything I have on my broken bones.

_It's ok. You can do this. You can do this. _

"And you did." Peter says and I feel him drop my wrists.

I look at my used to be broken wrists and laugh in awe surprise at what I just did.

I glance at Peter, who's smirking, and suddenly I'm filled with anger.

"What kind of sick joke was that?" I ask as I step to the door to Gold's shop.

"It wasn't a joke." Peter says as I turn the knob. "I just needed to see that you could really heal yourself."

"Breaking my wrists is _not_ the way to earn my loyalty to you, just for the record." I tell him as I step inside.

"Your love is your loyalty." I hear Peter say and I pause my step. "Whether you try to stop me, you'll always love me. And that means you're loyal already."

I whip around and glare at Peter. "Yeah? Well look where Felix's loyalty got him!"

Peter tightens his fists and I turn on my heel before slamming the door behind me and as I walk into the shop.

I rush to the room where Gold was…was…where the hell is he?

"Gold?" I shout, looking around. "Are you in here?"

The back door opens and I see Peter walking through the shop towards the front door, totally ignoring me.

"You are NOT hurting them!" I shout and push the air in front of Peter, causing him to fly against a wall and this time he doesn't catch himself.

Peter starts to stand up but I throw out my hand and he slams back into the wall.

"You can't stop me, Katherine! Peter Pan never fails!" He starts to get up but I rush to the front door and jump outside.

_At least you can warn them before Peter gets to them!_

I start running towards the group as fast as I can.

I see them about forty yards in front of me when all of a sudden my vision is blocked by Peter, who grabs my shoulders and holds me too him.

"No he won't!" He calls out to the group I ran away from.

He turns me to where I'm facing them and places one arm across my collarbones, keeping me leaning against him, while I can see the other hand holding the scroll he was holding earlier in Henry's body.

Peter starts walking towards them, still holding me which causes me to have to keep in time with his steps, and I grab with arm with both wrists to keep my balance.

"He has the—" Hooke begins to shout but Peter waves his hand in front of them, and I see their bodies turn red for a brief moment.

"Curse?" Henry finishes Hooke's sentence and lets go of me and I fall to my knees. "That I do." Peter tells them.

I realize now that Peter's frozen them in place.

"Peter! Stop it! Let them go!" I plead with him.

He looks down at me, "but Katherine, look at this. A captive audience. Too bad you couldn't warn them." He turns back towards them. "I could play with you like a pack of dolls couldn't I?"

"Peter, you killed Felix." I say and he glares down at me. "No more death, please. I'll do what you want just please leave them alone."

Peter grabs my arm and yanks me up, causing my head to spin for a moment. He brings his face close to mine and sighs as he touches his forehead to mine.

"I can't do that, you know that." Peter says softly.

I bite my lip and close my eyes. "Then kill me and let them live."

Peter takes a step back. "What? No! They're pathetic little lives aren't worth a million of yours. They have to pay a price, and they will."

He starts to turn back to them but I rush past him to Hooke and grab a dagger from his belt.

"So now you're going to fight me?" Peter says with a smirk.

"If I have too to save my family, then I will." I say, pointing the dagger at him.

Peter looks at me as he cocks his head to the left. "You're cute when you're angry."

"Peter, stop." I say. "Let them go."

I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, much less how I'm going to stab Peter if I have too.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" He asks as he walks up to Neal and Belle.

"No, but I'll try before you start hurting them."

"Huh, well I think I'll start with these too. Ah, you both look so adorable."

My eyes widen in horror at what Peter will do and a wild plan starts to form in my mind.

"Hard to tell which one of you to kill first."

"Peter, why do you need me alive?" I blurt out as he raises his hand toward Neal's heart.

The question catches him off guard for a moment. Peter narrows his eyes and looks at me, standing in front of Hooke.

"I won't let you win by hurting more people." I say as I slowly turn the dagger towards myself.

_If I stab myself maybe Peter will be distracted about my wound and it will give the others a chance to be freed from his freezing spell. _

_Of course he could kill everyone and then help me…_

_Oh God please help me not have to do this. _

Peter opens his mouth slightly and I see fear flash through his eyes. "You wouldn't…"

I look at him with incredulous eyes. "Wouldn't I? You of all people should understand WHY I would do this. After everything I've been through, after everything I've told you. You would understand why I would sacrifice myself for the few people I love."

"Katherine you don't want to die." Peter tells me as he eyes the dagger I'm holding.

_This is unbelievable. It's like he never knew me at all, never heard a word I said that night in his treehouse about my life. Doesn't he know I've thought about ending my life a million times? Not like this, but in the sense of if I accidentally stepped in front of a bus…_

Peter's clenching his jaw and looks like he's about to say something but I have to speak.

"Do you not remember the things I told you?" I ask him harshly, yet with weakness.

He tightens his fists and I see his eyes lower to my left wrist.

I sigh and with the arm holding the dagger I roll up my sleeve and thrust it towards him.

"Why do you think I did this, Peter?" I nearly shout at him. "Do you think it was just for some artwork? I didn't care if I cut too deep; I just cared about ending my pain!"

Peter looks me in the eye now. "You don't want to die." He says again, only with a hint of anger.

"Don't I, Peter? Maybe by killing myself I can protect them and finally be free of my burdens."

Peter watches me carefully. "You can't protect them if you're dead."

"And you can't hurt them if I'm dead." I shoot back.

"Who says I can't hurt them before you're dead?" Peter asks me darkly.

"You can't carry out your plan if your new Dark One bleeds to death." I tell him, looking at the dagger I'm pointing at myself.

"I wouldn't let you die." Peter says grimly.

"You wouldn't be able to heal me." I say. "Hooke's daggers are coated with squid ink. You would be frozen in place, helpless, watching me die right before your eyes."

"Where are you going with this?" Peter asks me quietly, with a subdued anger in his voice.

"Promise me." I say firmly.

Peter tightens his jaw. "Katherine…"

"Promise me you won't hurt any more people in this town. Any more people that I love. Even if they've tried to harm you."

_His face has that dark look to it that it did when I first met him. He doesn't believe that I'll kill myself. _

Peter smirks slightly as he looks me up and down. "I'm sorry, Katherine." He says. "I'm going to have to call your bluff."

_There's only one way to convince him…_

I look at the dagger and take in a shaky breath. "Ok."

I plunge the dagger into my stomach, crying out in pain before I rip it out.

* * *

**AH! Cliffhanger!**

**Please don't hate me for cutting it short like that but I would either have to cut it off in a delicious cliffhanger or post like 8,000 words...so! I hope you liked it!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"NO!" Peter shouts and starts to run to me but remembers the squid ink and just stares at me from where he's standing in front of Neal.

A near blinding pain ripples through my body and I drop the bloodied dagger on the ground. I grab my stomach and blood covers my hands as I look at Peter.

"Guess you'll have to find a new Dark One." I say to him as tears roll down my cheeks.

"Heal yourself." Peter commands through gritted teeth.

I cry out as I clutch my stomach. "No! Not until you give me your word you won't hurt anyone!"

He sighs with anger and sadness as he watches the blood seep into my dress.

I can barely stand, but somehow the little bit of hope that Peter will actually not hurt Neal and the rest of them keeps me going.

"Katherine, I'm not saving them. They're not worth saving."

I close my eyes and take a shaky breath before looking at Peter's eyes. "Am I?"

He lets out a long breath and just looks at me, and this time I can confirm that I see actual pain on his face.

_Please, Peter…don't do this. Don't hurt anyone else. I told you I'll do whatever you want as long as you leave them alone. _

I look at Peter and he sighs as he looks from my wound to my face.

_"You said it yourself, I'm a monster. And this is what I do, and will forever do. I hurt people, Katherine. And it doesn't bother me. I do what I need and must for my plans to succeed." _Peter tells me in my mind.

_Peter…I love you…but I wo—_

_"Don't say anything." _Peter interrupts. _"Just close your eyes and wait until I finish everything. Then I can make you forget all of this and we can start over in __**our**__ New Neverland." _

A tear rolls down my cheek and I bite my lip before looking at the sky.

All I see is the blurred vision of clouds and focus everything I have on the sky, momentarily escaping this situation I'm in right now.

_Peter I won't stand by your side only to watch you destroy those who I'm fighting to protect. _

I don't even have to look at Peter to know he's furious and I'm positive that same darkness has come back over him.

But when I do look at him, Peter doesn't look distressed but instead he has a maliciously twisted mix of a scowl and a smile.

"Peter…" I begin but cry out as another wave of pain crashes through my body from where I stabbed myself.

He clenches his fists angrily and turns to Neal. "Because of your stupid self your daughter has decided to sacrifice herself for you." I look at him and see actual tears in his eyes. "Well now you're going to sacrifice your life for hers."

"NO!" I scream as Peter shoves his hand to Neal's chest, but before he touches him Gold appears out of nowhere and places his hand on Peter's shoulder, causing Peter to whip around.

"Stay away from them." Gold commands.

"Well how about this?" Peter says cockily. "The worm has teeth. Were you here to…" He looks at me and I swear I see pain in his eyes when he sees where I stabbed myself. "To protect your loved ones?"

"I'm not going to let you touch either one of them." Gold says as he looks at Neal and Belle.

"Oh I'd like to see that." Peter smirks.

"Oh you will." Gold says, raising his eyebrows. "Because I have a job to finish. And I have to do whatever it takes."

_He's going to kill Peter, now. _

Gold steps toward Peter. "No loopholes. And what needs to be done has a price. A price I'm finally willing to pay."

Peter glances over at me like he's trying to tell me to do something, but I raise a bloodied hand towards him, silently saying no.

_He wants me to kill Gold right now, here, in front of everyone. I won't do that, I can't…can I? No…no… I can't and I won't…but what happens to Peter if I don't do something?_

"Gold…" I choke out as I take a step forward. He looks at me with surprise, thinking I was frozen like the rest of them.

"Katherine, how…" He looks to my stomach where I stabbed myself. "What have you done, child?"

"I'm trying to save you, and Peter, and them." I say quietly, as I notice breathing is getting slightly more difficult with each breath I take.

"You can't save anyone, dearie." Gold says with pity as he looks at me. "The curse will infect everyone."

"Ha!" Peter suddenly laughs, catching me and Gold by surprise. We look at him with confusion, which makes him chuckle again.

"Oh, my poor Rumple." Peter begins. "The curse will infect everyone." He then points to me. "Everyone but her."

"What do you mean?" Gold hisses.

"Felix gave her the cure, which will cause the fog to pass right over her." Peter states simply.

_That potion Felix used to wake me up was the cure to the curse Peter cast?_ _That's why he hasn't acted concerned about me, regarding the curse, because he knows I'll be fine! _

I glance up at Peter, who's smirking with satisfaction over the knowledge he just shared.

"You bastard!" I shout, although it comes out in a hoarse whisper from my lack of physical strength. "If I live through this I swear to God I'll kill you myself."

"I'll take that as a challenge." Peter smiles cruelly as he starts to take a step towards me.

"Enough." Gold says as he turns to Neal. "I used the curse to find you Bae. To make sure you had a chance. A chance at happiness." Peter chuckles as he looks from Neal's frozen form to Gold. "And that happiness is possible. Just not with me, and I accept that."

"Pretty, pretty words." Peter says maliciously as he turns his attention back to Gold.

"I love you, Bae." Gold tells Neal. "And I love you Belle, you made me stronger."

"Stronger?" Peter asks as he chuckles.

"Yes." Gold whispers.

"But still." Peter says satisfactorily as he points to the leather bracelet around Gold's arm. "No magic."

Gold just smiles ear to ear. "Oh but I don't need it. You see, you may have lost your shadow, but there's one thing you're forgetting."

Peter sighs, "And what's that?"

"So have I." Gold says. "I sent it away with something to hide." He raises his hand to the sky and I look up to see a shadow fly down with a dagger, dropping it into Gold's hand.

Gold suddenly grabs Peter in his arms and holds him tightly.

"Arrgh!" Peter struggles against him. "What are you doing?"

"You see," Gold tells him. "The only way for you to die is if we both die."

Peter only struggles harder against Gold's grip as I realize Gold's actually going to kill Peter…and himself.

"And now, now I'm ready." Gold takes the dagger and before I can blink he shoves it into Peter's back and into his own chest.

"AH!" Peter winches in pain and Gold only shoves the dagger deeper within them.

"No! Peter!" I scream as I watch a cloud of black smoke engulfs them, and when it evaporates I see man, no longer Peter, in Gold's grasp.

I gasp at the sight in front of me.

"Hello, papa." Gold says darkly.

"Rumple, please." Peter, or not Peter, or freakishly old Peter says shakily. "You can stop this. Remove the dagger."

Gold looks at his adoptive dad with disgust as Peter tries to convince him. "We can start over, we can have our happy ending. I'll claim you, boy, as my son, once and for all."

"Ah, but I'm a villain!" Gold tells him. "And villains don't get happy endings."

Gold twists the dagger inside Peter's back, along with inside his own heart.

I close my eyes as a bright light shoots out from both of the men before bursting like a flash of lightning.

When I open my eyes the men are gone and I see the scroll fall to the ground.

"AH!" I cry out again in pain and a wave of sadness washes over me as the people around me glow red before moving again.

Belle covers her mouth and sinks to the ground before she begins to sobs hysterically over her lost beast.

No one moves for a moment, however, like they're still frozen. Everyone just stares at where Rumple sacrificed himself.

"No!" Belle sobs. "Rumple! He's…he's gone!"

Regina steps forward and unwillingly picks up the scroll.

"Regina?" Mary Margaret asks her. "Are you okay?"

Regina turns the scroll over in her hand before standing up. "I'm fine."

Emma walks over to Neal. "I'm sorry." She says.

Neal forces a smile. "My father did what he had to do, he saved us. Just don't let him die for no reason…Regina!"

"What?" She asks, lost in thought.

"We're here for a reason, love." Hooke says. "Pan?"

"He's dead." Regina says sharply, cutting him off.

"His curse remains." Hooke finishes. "Can you stop it? Or should we all start preparing our souls because mine is going to take some time."

"IT"S HERE!" I hear one of the dwarves scream as he runs up to us.

I turn towards Hooke, still clutching my stomach, winching in pain as I move.

"Woah, love." Hooke says and I fall forward, but he catches me.

"You might want to clean your dagger…" I say weakly to Hooke as I start to cry softly.

I feel him chuckle as more pain advances on my body. I bend over, clutching my stomach harder with my hands.

"Neal!" Hooke shouts in a whisper. Neal turns around away from Henry and rushes towards me.

"Oh God." Neal says as he sees the blood coming from my cut.

I look past Neal and see Regina glance over at me and then to Henry. "I have to undo what I started."

"What do we do, mate?" Hooke asks Neal, who takes me in his arms.

"Neal…" I begin although I stop because all of a sudden I can't breathe.

_Wait, I can do magic, Peter told me to heal myself. GOD I'M AN IDIOT! He showed me I could heal myself because he expected me to do something like this!_

_Or did he…_

"No," he says softly. "Shhhh, I'm not losing you again." _?_

"No, I can heal myself." I choke out.

"What?" Hooke asks, surprisingly. "What are you talking about?"

I swallow weakly and place my hands over my stomach, like when I was with Gold at the crypt, and with Peter in the alley. I focus on mending myself and after a moment a warm feeling fills my body.

_Breathe, Katherine. Focus. _

I inhale sharply when I feel the pain from the dagger exceed, as if the dagger is being pulled out again, only this time like it never went in.

"Ah!" I gasp and I roll over, slipping out of Neal's arms and hitting the pavement.

Both Hooke and Neal crouch down and look at me expectantly as I turn around and lean on my elbows. I look at my stomach and widen my eyes.

Their gaze follows mine and Neal gasps, while Hooke lets out a relieved whistle.

There's only a scar where I stabbed myself only minutes ago, and all the pain is gone.

I smile and look at Neal, whose worried face has disappeared.

He pulls me to him and hugs me tightly as Hooke lets out a breath of relief.

"Please don't pull something like that again." Neal tells me. He helps me up and I look to Regina but Hooke places a hand on my shoulder.

Neal walks over to Henry and hugs him as Hooke turns me to face him.

"Love, I saw your face when you pulled my dagger from my belt. You weren't thinking about healing yourself."

I nod meekly and turn around but Hooke spins me back towards him.

"Katherine, you were going to die for Peter Pan; he kills everyone," Hooke gestures towards the tower. "He killed Felix, why would you want to die for someone like that?"

"It wasn't just for him, Hooke." I say quietly, feeling my anger and exhaustion come over me.

"Who then?" Hooke asks as he shrugs his shoulders, looking at me like I'm supposed to spit out answers on demand.

I tighten my jaw and run a hand through my hair before sighing loudly and glaring at Hooke. "It was for me."

Hooke just looks at me, confused.

I take a deep breath and bite my lip. "A lot of bad stuff happened to me, Hooke, and I caused most of it, but there are things that happened and now I…I wouldn't mind if I had to die." I say quietly, and look at the ground.

I see Hooke's boots in front of my feet and look up at his face. I see compassion and a heavy burden in his eyes.

"Don't die yet, love." Hooke says as he cups my face with his hand. "Not yet."

"…Hooke…there's nothing else for me here." I tell him as my tears hit his hand.

"No, ssshhhh, what about your father? What about Neal? You were the one telling them not to give up on their hopes, and now…now you're giving up so easily?" Hooke asks me.

He's right, I am giving up, but why shouldn't I? Why did I heal myself? Why didn't I just let myself bleed out slowly and have a gentle death and finally be free of everything?

_I'm done._

My head starts to spin and Hooke grabs my shoulder to steady me, but it doesn't help much.

I think because I really am giving up my body is finally done fighting, and everything from lack of food, physical injuries, mental bruises, and just everything hits me like a ton of bricks.

"Katherine?" I vaguely hear Hooke say my name as his face slowly blurs into darkness and I feel myself slipping back into my dark wonderland.

* * *

**Merry Christmas Update!**

**I'm telling you, writing this is an epic process that involves staying up till three and taking short Teen Wolf breaks when I'm too tired to read words anymore. **

**But...I'm in love with you and thank you for your reviews. They seriously make me smile, even if you're basically dying from a cliffhanger. :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V.**

Hooke's carrying Katherine's seemingly lifeless body to the red line of Story Brooke along with the others.

"Neal, why don't you just let her go back with you to the Enchanted Forest? At least then you would be with one of your children." Hooke says to Neal, who's got a sullen face.

"I want her to have a life, or at least think she did. If Katherine comes to the Enchanted forest then she'll remember everything and I…" He looks down at her frail body. "I don't think she can handle anything else."

Everyone arrives to the red line of Story Brooke and watches as the storm picks up in the sky.

"Neal," Henry says as he lets his dad go from another hug. "I don't want to leave you."

Neal wipes a tear away from Henry's face. "It's ok, Henry. It'll all be ok. You'll be with your sister."

Emma walks over to Neal. "I'm sorry." She tells him.

"Don't be." He says, shrugging his shoulders. "Gotta get our boy and my daughter the hell out of here."

Henry walks up to Hooke and places a hand on Katherine's limp one.

"You have to go back there." Emma says sadly.

"Yeah, I do." Neal sighs and Emma hugs him.

"Hey," He says as he pulls back and looks at Katherine and Henry. "This isn't over. I'll see my family again."

Emma smiles before walking towards her car.

Hooke walks up to her. "There's not a day that will go by where I won't think of you." He says softly.

"Good." Emma tells him and manages a small smile.

Hooke nods and after Emma opens the car door he gently lays Katherine down in the back seat. Emma's lost in thought so before anyone can see him Hooke quickly fastens the clamp of a gold locket around Katherine's neck before closing the door.

He nods at Emma and walks over to Mary Margaret and David.

Emma turns back toward her car before Regina steps up to her.

"Emma, there's something I haven't told you." Regina says.

"What now?" Emma asks her through tears.

"When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind. Including your memories. It's just what the curse does. Story Brooke won't ever exist, it won't ever have existed. So these last years will be gone from your three memories, and will just go back to being stories again."

"What will happen to us?" Emma asks as she looks at Henry and then the back of her car.

Regina shakes her head. "I don't know."

"That doesn't sound much like a happy ending." Emma says.

Regina chuckles. "It's not. But I can give you one."

Emma looks up expectantly. "You can preserve our memories?"

"No." Regina says. "I can do what I did to everyone else in this town. I can give you new ones."

"You cursed them and they were miserable." Emma says, taken aback.

"They didn't have to be." Regina takes Emma's hand. "My gift to you is good memories. Good life for you…" Regina turns around and reaches her hand to Henry.

He walks up to her and Emma, hand in hand. "You'll have never have given him up." Regina tells Emma. "And you will have adopted Katherine after her mother gave her up so Henry could grow up with a sister."

Emma chokes back tears that fall down her face.

"You three will have always been together." Regina smiles.

"You would do that?" Emma asks.

"When I stop Pan's curse," Regina says firmly. "And you cross that town line. You will have the life you always wanted." She looks at me and smiles. "That all of you always wanted."

"But it won't be real." Emma tells Regina.

"Your past won't, but your future will." Regina says. "Now go. There isn't much time left the curse will be here any minute."

Henry hugs Regina tightly, and can tell she's trying hard to stay put together.

Mary Margaret walks up and kisses Emma on the forehead before smiling at her. "Katherine fell in love, Emma." She says as she cups Emma's face in her hands. "But now it's time for you to let her fall in love with family."

Emma nods and hugs her mom before she and Henry head to her yellow bug. They climb in and start driving away.

Henry sees his dad wave one last goodbye before he and the others are engulfed in a storm of purple smoke.

* * *

**Katherine's P.O.V.**

**1 year later…**

"Really guys?" I say as I head out of my bedroom in my tank top and pajama pants. "8:15 on a Saturday morning? What's wrong with you two?"

I put on a long sleeve cardigan and Emma laughs as she scrambles some eggs in a skillet. "If I didn't wake you up you would sleep till four in the afternoon, I'm sure of it."

I sigh and walk over to Henry, whose watering the flowers. I kiss him on the top of his head before sitting down at the table.

"Hey, Emma, last night the scar on my stomach had this weird ache to it." I say as I lean both elbows on the table.

"Did you scratch it?" Henry asks as he sets down the watering pot.

I rub the gold locket around my chest as I think. "I don't know? Maybe." I shrug as Emma sets down three plates loaded with bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Before she sits down she places three mugs of hot chocolate on our placemats.

I raise my eyebrows and look at Henry before we burst out laughing.

"What?" What'd I do?" Emma asks us, placing her hands on her hips.

"You forgot the cinnamon!" I say. "Every single time! How do you forget? The kid practically lives off the stuff."

"I do not." Henry says as Emma grabs the cinnamon container. He sprinkles a generous amount on his hot chocolate and I hold my own mug across the table towards him.

"Then share some you dummy." I say as I smile. Henry sprinkles cinnamon on mine as Emma sits down with us.

We all toast our mugs before drinking the chocolaty goodness.

"You're a teenage girl, shouldn't you watch the calories?" Henry asks me jokingly.

I cock my head to the side. "And why would I do that when I can have all the bacon I want?" I ask as I hold up my bacon with my left hand.

"I'm just saying, if you get to be five hundred pounds I'm not rolling you to school every day." He says as he digs into his pancakes.

I flip eggs off my fork and hit him in the face.

"Ok! Enough you two!" Emma smiles as Henry pours some cinnamon in his hand and blows it across the table to me.

Suddenly we hear someone knocking on the door.

"See, the whole world is up at 8:15 on a Saturday morning." Emma tells me before getting up to answer the door. As she turns off the radio the person knocks again.

Henry and I exchange looks before we run from the table silently and stand behind the counter, watching the door.

Emma opens it to find a dark featured man smile when he sees her. "Ms. Swan." He says as he steps forward.

She puts out her hand to stop him from coming in our apartment. "Do I know you?" She asks him cautiously.

I crease my brows together as I look at the man.

_He looks so familiar…Have I seen him somewhere? But if I have where would it have been?_

"Look, I need your help. Something's happened, something terrible. Your family's in trouble."

"My family's right here, who are you?" Emma asks him harshly.

"An old friend." The man says and Henry looks at me with a smirk, but I'm a little lost in thought to notice.

"I know you can't remember me, but I can make you." And suddenly he grabs Emma and kisses her.

Henry and I gasp and step out into the hallway as Emma knees him in the groin and pushes the man outside the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" She exclaims as Henry and I just stare at them, completely confused.

"Longshot, but I had to try." The man grunts. "I was hoping you felt as I did."

"All you'll feel is the handcuffs when I call the cops." Emma says as she begins to shut the door.

"No no wait!" The man insists. He catches my eye and looks even more worried. "This seems crazy, but you have to listen to me, you have to remb—"

Emma shuts the door and Henry and I almost trip over one another as we run back to the table.

We just manage to sit down and shove some food into our mouths when Emma walks slowly to us, lost in thought.

"Who was that?" Henry asks with a mouthful of pancakes.

Emma sighs, breathless. "No idea. Someone must have left the door open downstairs."

"You ok, Emma?" I ask, seeing her looking out of breath.

"Yeah," She says as she sits down. "Let's eat."

* * *

"Hey Emma I'm going out for a bit! Is that ok?" I shout from my bedroom as I zip my boots.

As I walk into the kitchen and put on my coat, Emma leans against the hallway door and raises a corner of her mouth.

I wrap a scarf around my neck and put a beanie on and look at her with a huge grin as I raise my shoulders.

"Can I?" I ask her.

Emma sighs as she smiles and hands me the keys to her yellow bug. "I suppose, just be back before dinner."

I squeal and give her a quick hug before rushing to the door.

"Bye Henry!" I yell as I walk out of our apartment.

I take the stairs and once I get outside a blast of cold air hits me and I tighten my scarf around my neck as I walk to Emma's car.

I start it and begin driving to no particular destination, just somewhere to let me think for a bit.

The snow is falling lightly, but it's been snowing for a while so there's a few inches on the ground and little layers of ice scattered over the roads.

I get to a red light and sigh as I bite my lip.

_I could have sworn I've seen that man's face before…_

_But where? Not at school…_

A car honking behind me snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry!" I say and wave to the car behind me as I start turning onto a street I don't normally drive.

_Ok, so if not at school, and I can't remember anywhere else; does he just look like someone I saw at the grocery store? _

_Does he work somewhere I've been? _

_No…not with his attire, what the hell was he even wearing?_

_Black leather trench coat doesn't scream rapist at all!_

_He could have gone to high school with Emma and decided to find her to renew a friendship?_

_But he kissed Emma like they've known each other really, really well in the past…_

_She seemed so distraught after seeing him, maybe he was a one night stand who's come back to haunt her? _

_Ugh, whatever or whoever he is he's not helping me pay attention to where I'm going…_

I briefly look down at my cell phone and touch the button to light the screen.

_4:29 p.m._

"4:29!" I say aloud.

_I left at like, 1 p.m. how is it this late? _

I look around at the snow covered landscape I'm passing and I realize I have no idea where I am.

I lean forward and use my windshield wipers to wipe away the snow that's blocking my view of the road.

A shrill ring from my phone causes me to jump in my seat and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I pick up my phone and answer it, seeing that Henry's calling.

"Katherine?" Henry's voice asks.

"Yeah, Henry. What's up?" I ask him, trying to sound casual, although I know I probably should've been home around 3ish.

"Well Emma wants you home as soon as possible. She was watching the weather and a snow storm is happening tonight. She said try to be home in like, thirty minutes."

"Ok, kid, I'm on my way." I say as I look around where I'm driving, knowing there's no way I'll be home in thirty minutes, much less a couple hours.

"All right, love you." Henry says.

"Love you too. See ya." I hang up and throw my phone to the passenger seat.

_Ok, snowstorm. Nice to meet you but I really need to get home…_

I twist and look behind me to try to see where I am and I when I twist back around I see a figure about forty feet in front of the car.

"Shit!" I shout and slam on my brakes.

Because I slammed the brakes on a small patch of ice the car slides a little before skidding to a stop.

I look to where I saw the figure in front of the car but there' s no one there.

"Uh…ok then." I say as I put the car in reverse and turn around so I'm facing the way I was coming from.

I drive back the way I came and the snow really starts to pick up. I can barely see ten feet in front of the car.

_Maybe I shouldn't be driving in this weather…I just got my license like a two months ago…_

A bird flies in front of my windshield and I scream before gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.

I swallow and close my eyes for a second, feeling my heart beat quicken from the scare that stupid bird gave me.

When I open my eyes I gasp.

That same figure is in front of the car.

I slam on the brakes but I was on a patch of ice so the car keeps going sixty miles an hour towards this person in the road.

I scream and turn the steering wheel as hard as I can to the right, trying to avoid the person.

That's when I feel it.

I'm floating out of my seat, spinning in the air.

I realize the car's flipping but my mind is somewhere else.

I hear metal crushing and glass shattering as I'm thrown around with the car.

Everything's disoriented and loud.

The air bags bruise me with an undeniable force that I'm sure will break all of my bones.

I can hear the car crunching the snow with each flip it takes.

Suddenly all is still and quiet as my head bangs into back of my seat.

I feel my arms drop by the sides of my head and notice I'm upside down.

The air bags deployed, but I can't tell where they are anymore.

I'm vaguely aware of a cell phone ringing in the distance.

Floating, that's what it feels like. Like I'm not here, but I am here, but I'm not…

A subdued ache overcomes my body and causes a groan to escape my lips.

I open my eyes and blink several times as I start to come to my senses.

The vague sound of boots fills my ears and I turn my head to the left slightly and look out of the glassless window.

Through a blurry vision I make out a pair of boots running towards the car, and see the hem of a…

_Trench coat._

_It's him. _

"Love?" I hear his accented voice ask as he kneels by the car and looks at me.

I just stare at his upside down face and wonder why he was out in the middle of a snowstorm.

He grabs my face and shakes it slightly, bringing me more to my senses.

"I…I'm stuck." I manage to say. "It's my seatbelt."

The man peers inside the car and squints at the seatbelt.

"Okay, love. Put your hands on the ceiling." He tells me and I place my palms on the roof of the car which should never be at this angle.

He raises his left arm and I see something silver and metal flash in the light from the car clock before hearing him slash my seatbelt.

I immediately fall down on my head and hands but feel the man pull me out of the car.

"Uh…ah!" I wince as I feel my stomach where my scar is, and my hand touches a small piece of glass.

I pull it out and drop the glass, only to have the wind carry it away in the snow storm.

The man suddenly grabs me in his arms as the ground gets closer to my face.

"Woah, woah love." He says as he keeps me from falling.

I didn't even realize I was falling, much less alive after wrecking Emma's car.

_Oh God, I just flipped off the road._

_How in hell did I survive that?_

_Or am I dead?_

I squint through the snow at the man holding me steady.

_No…not dead, but who is this?_

_Did I almost hit him with the car?_

"Who…who are you?" I ask as I feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness.

The man chuckles lightly as he scoops me in his arms completely. "Call me Hooke."

* * *

**AH GUYS! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER UNTIL MARCH! FREAKING MARCH!**

**I can't handle this, but I have too...**

**Will you stay with me until May? I hope so. **

**But I cannot wait to see the new episodes guys, literally cannot wait. **

**I love you and hope you enjoyed this Chapter 20. **


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